As a college player the best Christmas gift is a chance to put final exams behind you, travel back home, and celebrate with your family (I suppose a trip to Hawaii to play in the Diamond Head Classic would be a close 2nd!). As a pro player the best Christmas gift is a chance to play on TV in front of a national audience. The latter wish came true for Mickell Gladness 8 years ago today when he made his NBA debut with Miami on Christmas Day 2011 (3 minutes of action during a win at Dallas that was a rematch of the 2011 NBA Finals). HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Mickell about having a Christmas to remember and owning the greatest shot-blocking performance in NCAA history.
You grew up in Alabama: what made you choose Alabama A&M? I initially was recruited by UAB but at the time I wanted to leave my junior college they told me that I would have to walk-on: that is when Alabama A&M came along and offered me a full scholarship. The chance to play D-1 made the choice easier, as well as the fact that I did not have many other options.
On February 24, 2007 you set a D-1 record with 16 BLK in a 6-PT win over Texas Southern: do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I am very proud of that record. It has been more than a decade and no one has broken it yet so I do not think that it will ever be broken. If someone does break it then my hat goes off to them because it was not easy to set the record back then and it is probably even harder to do it now. You do not really see shot-blockers like that in the NCAA anymore.
As a junior you led the nation with 6.3 BPG: what is your secret for blocking shots? I honestly do not think it is a secret: it is just God-given talent. The most important things are timing and being fearless. I have gotten dunked on/scored on numerous times…but in my mind I will block or disturb your shot more often than you score and that is the key.
You were named 1st-team All-SWAC in 2007/2008: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It meant that I had the respect that I was striving for from my peers (most importantly) and also the coaches around the league.
You graduated with 396 career BLK in only 3 seasons of D-1 basketball (which remains in the top-25 all-time): do you consider yourself 1 of the best shot-blockers in NCAA history? I do. I feel that if I had played at that level 1 more year then I would have been in the top-5 all-time, but I have always hung my hat on defense so I am very proud that the record book shows that.
You have spent the past decade playing pro in several countries as well as the D-League: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? I think it is more about “team” basketball overseas as opposed to a lot of individual skills and 1-on-1 in the US.
In 2010 you won the D-League title with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers: what did it mean to you to win a title? I really wish that I would have played more on that team (Mickell ranked 16th on the roster with 12.8 MPG) but they still gave me my first taste of success at the professional level.
On December 25, 2011 you made your NBA debut with Miami: where does that rank among the best Christmases of your life?! It is really hard to top achieving one of your career/lifelong goals on Christmas.
You played 26 games for the Heat that year: what is your favorite memory from your time in the NBA? I think just being around the guys who everyone around the world looks up to. Being in the locker room/on the court with guys like LeBron, D-Wade, J-Howard, and Chris Bosh (to name just a few) was an experience that I will never forget. I gained a lot of knowledge and my last game against the Spurs really made me realize that I could play at a high level: not a lot of people get to do what I have done.
How long do you plan to keep playing for, and what do you hope to do in the future? Playing pro basketball overseas is a nice place to be but it is just a stepping stone for me to get back to the highest level, whether that is the NBA or Euroleague. I plan on getting back to 1 of the highest levels before I am done.