NBA Draft 2013 Q&A: Michael Carter-Williams

by Allie Chinander

Syracuse star Michael Carter-Williams enters tonight’s 2013 NBA Draft with high hopes. This 6’6” point guard not only has an extreme height advantage for his position, but he also has an eye for the floor. Last season, he led the Big East in assists with 7.7 per game, and ranked fifth in the NCAA. Carter-Williams was also key to the Orange’s run  to a Final Four appearance in April.

Carter-Williams is expected to be a high draft pick, likely taken in the first 14 picks of the first round. But before he hits the big stage, Carter-Williams sat down with SI Kids at Lids in Times Square, New York to discuss a few things about his career and the upcoming draft.

Q: You’ve said in the past that you tried to model your game after Jason Kidd. What part of his game do you admire most and how do you incorporate that into your own game?

A: I just like the way he is able to dominate the game in ways of playing defense, getting steals and making passes to his teammates. I like how he rebounds the ball and is able to knock down open shots. He is very smart, so I try to model my game after someone like that.

Q: Do you have any kind of good luck charm going into the draft tomorrow?

A: No, not really. My family is my good luck charm.

Q: Do you have any type of ritual that you do before games or that you’ll do before the draft tomorrow? Maybe even a song you always listen to or a certain food that you eat?

A: No, I’m not really the ritual type. I listen to music before games, but nothing before tomorrow, probably.

Q: How do you take your mind off the draft?

A: Just enjoy the process. It only happens once. Just enjoy the time with my family and friends and, like I said before, just taking it all in.

Q: Do you have a favorite player of all time?

A: Michael Jordan has always been my favorite player of all time.

Q: Your jersey number at Syracuse was number 1. Does that have any significance?

A: No, not really. I was number 2 in high school, and 5 in AAU. I just felt like switching it up a little bit. If I go to a team that doesn’t have a number 1, I’ll probably stick with it. But if they already have one then I’ll probably come up with something else. 

For more coverage of the 2013 NBA Draft, check out the SI Kids blog!

Photo: John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated