School Days: Paul Millsap
05 November 2009
Four brothers born in Monroe, Louisiana.
"I think it made me who I am. Growing up was really competitive and I think that helped us out a lot."
One basketball.
"We always had one-on-one games with each other - and that brought us real close."
It's no wonder hooping became a family affair for Paul Millsap - it's actually a right of passage.
"I started playing organized basketball kind of late - so they would actually beat (up on) me. And that was really tough. I was kind of soft back then - and they knew that. So they were always picking on me, trying to take advantage of me and usually, they got the best of me."
But getting the best of him then started Paul on the path that brings the best out of him now.
"It just got really frustrating. Back then I just felt like everybody was just out to pick on me. But it made me grow up - I had to learn how to be tougher. So it turned out to be for my own good."
In part because they were the only basketball role models Paul even knew about.
"You know, I wasn't really into basketball when I was a kid - I didn't really have posters on my walls or anything like that. And because I was really just getting started, I didn't really understand the game. So basically, looking up to my brothers and the way that they played brought me closer to the game."
As the second-oldest, Paul followed in his big brother's footsteps, becoming a double-double machine in college.
"I didn't really feel like I had to live up to him. John has always been good. And he started playing really early so he knew everything about the game. Watching him, watching the things he did to progress in basketball - I learned a lot from that."
Paul's message to today's "little brothers and sisters"?
"Take their (older siblings') advice. These are the people who've been there - who paved the way for us. So anything that they say can help you - try to take it and run with it."
Before he stepped firmly into The Mailman's shadow at Louisiana Tech - becoming the first player in NCAA history to lead the nation in rebounding for three consecutive years - Paul muscled up at Grambling High School.
"Basketball was really big there - so I knew that night-in, night-out, I had to show up ready to play. Otherwise people around town were going to be saying something (bad) about my game. It was a lot of pressure, but through it all I had my family there supporting me. To look up in the stands and know that they were there to see me play, that meant a lot to me and helped keep me going."
After surviving his first high school season, Paul felt like he might just be alright.
"It got tough. The running was tough. Practices were tough. But I felt that if I survived all the things that we did, I could really play this game. And from then on, I just always tried to get better every day."
And take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself.
"It's always going to get tougher to get better - things are not going to always go your way. But it's how you bounce back from it. How you handle that tough situations. Most of us don't get too many opportunities, so when you do, you going to take advantage of them."
Displaying the toughness that would eventually lead to NBA All-Rookie honors, Paul led the Kittens to a 30-0 record. His hard-nosed play landed him on the Top 100 McDonald's All-American team and a fourth-team membership on the Parade All-American roster.
Hitting the boards seemed to become part of his every-second thinking.
"My thing was rebounding - it got me a long way. Rebounding was the thing that got me noticed and put me on the map. It's what got me in the door to start getting some opportunities to show that I could really play."
And when it came time to head off to college, Paul relished that chance.
"It didn't really bother me that some of the bigger schools didn't come after me. At the end of the day, maybe you look and try to compare yourself and see what you could've maybe done on another team. But my stats were always there. The work was always there. And getting it done at that level got me where I'm at today."
Even today in the NBA, Paul has never said much about those who've doubted his game.
"I just get on the court and play - I speak through how I play. And what I do on the court speaks for itself. After you get done doing the things that you know you can do, people start to see and realize how good you are. And when you play well, when the production speaks for itself, what can they say then?"
And when you do things that no one else has ever done before, nothing else needs to be said.
"Leading the country in rebounding for three straight years, it meant a lot. It means a lot. I accomplished something that nobody has ever done before and I'm proud of that. It's something I can take with me for the rest of my life."
It's something - that knowing what he's capable of - that helped him stay patient early in his pro career.
"Playing behind Carlos (Boozer) helped me out - I didn't jump into the fire too early. Instead of fighting with him, I watched the things that he did and learned from him. So if you're stuck behind an older kid on your high school team, the first thing you have to understand is that eventually, you're going to have a chance to step into that position. So learn as much as you can until you get there."
But that doesn't mean you sit around hoping and wishing for that time to come.
"I didn't wait for Carlos to get hurt (last year) to become a better player. You have to be ready at all times. And it starts the first day of training camp. It starts the first day of practice, getting yourself mentally and physically prepared for anything. You never know what can happen - so you've got to be ready at all times."
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