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JUST MY TYPE
FRANK KAMINSKY
PLAYING GAMES
The Hornets' 23-year-old big man, fresh off averaging 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds as a rookie, weighs an All-Star appearance versus a Game of Thrones cameo.
DAN PATRICK:Have you had to cover LeBron James?
FRANK KAMINSKY: I have a couple of times. The first time I did it [last November], I was really nervous. Then I got more comfortable.
DP:What was your strategy?
FK: I just tried to make him take jump shots. You can see how well he does when he's attacking the rim.
DP:How would you describe LeBron as an athlete?
FK: Some of the plays he made in Game 7 [of the Finals] just prove how much of a physical freak he is. That block in transition on [André] Iguodala [in the fourth quarter] was insane. And if he had made that dunk at the end of the game on Draymond [Green], that would have been one of the greatest dunks in NBA history. He proved how great a basketball player and athlete he was in that series.
DP:Were you more nervous about the end of Game 7 or Sunday night's Game of Thrones episode?
FK: I was much more amped for Game of Thrones. It wasn't even close.
DP:How big is Game of Thrones in the locker room?
FK: There's a handful of players that watch it. There's a lot of staff that watches it. I try to have as many conversations as I possibly can about it because I have so many theories that I like to point out. Then there's just some people who don't like the show at all. I call them stupid, because I think it's the best show of all time.
DP:Is there a character who is like LeBron?
FK: Probably Jon Snow. Jon Snow doesn't get the hate that LeBron does, but they're comparable.
DP:Both came back from the dead.
FK: That's true. For not being loved as much as the others [around them], they both proved themselves to be great.
DP:Is Steph Curry comparable to Khaleesi?
FK: I don't know. I love Khaleesi, but she hasn't really done much yet. Steph has accomplished a lot. That's a tough comparison.
DP:If I said you could either have a speaking role on Game of Thrones or make the All-Star Game ...
FK:[Long pause.] I don't know. That's tough.
DP:I think that sort of answers the question.
FK: No, I gotta go All-Star Game. But there will be plenty of years for me to make an All-Star team. Game of Thrones has an expiration date. It's probably in the next couple of years, so being on that show would be unbelievable.
DP:Even if your [character] dies?
FK: Even if I have only one line, get hit by an arrow and die, that would be fine with me. Even if it's just my face [on screen]. I'd even be an extra.
GUEST SHOTS
SAY WHAT?
Adam Silver told me he's ready to prevent intentional fouls on bad free throw shooters. "I was on the fence about making [a rules] change two years ago," the NBA commissioner said. "I now think that we need to make the change. It's just become ugly." ... Saints QB Drew Brees is eager for more two-point conversions and fourth-down tries. "If we went for two, we could make it more than 50% of the time," said Brees. "I think on fourth down, depending on where we are on the field, we could convert most [of them]." ... TNT's Reggie Miller said if he were Michael Jordan, he would have the perfect argument for why he is better than LeBron James, Steph Curry or Kobe Bryant: "[I'd say], Six times I went [to the Finals]. Six times I won. Six times I was Finals MVP. Until someone comes close to that...."
