Rising Star: Indiana Pacer and former Texas Basketball player Myles Turner talks Texas

Story by HornSports Correspondent Corey Elliott

 

 

 

Myles Turner sits at his locker after the Indiana Pacers’ season opening win over the Dallas Mavericks.

 

 

 

Turner, a 20-year-old who talks like and presents himself with the confidence and attitude of a 10-year NBA veteran, turns around in his chair and drapes a towel over his shoulders.

 

 

 

“Ok, I’m ready,” Turner says to the media, anxiously waiting nearby.

 

 

 

Before Turner could take a breath, the 15 media members hovering around his locker move in closer, their microphones and recorders extended, and their cameras up close and personal.

 

 

 

On this night, Turner scored 30 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and added four monster blocks. He capped all of this off with an emphatic fastbreak dunk in overtime that might end up on the walls of youngsters everywhere between Indianapolis, Indiana and Austin, Texas.

 

 

 

Turner answers as many questions as the media has. There is no cut off. The second-year center-forward grins really big when he talks about his performance, and he adds a genuine laugh when he reflects on his missed three-pointer that rimmed out as time expired in regulation.

 

 

 

“Ah, I wanted that to go in. But I’m glad we still got the W (in overtime),” Turner says.

 

 

 

Yes. Myles Turner is still very much a kid at heart. You don’t need to ask him, you just need to observe. Coming into his rookie season, Turner, who was only 19 at the time, attended a high school football game on the southside of Indianapolis. In recent years, the Pacers organization has sent its players to nearby high schools to make appearances and interact with high school students at high school football games as the NBA season approaches.

 

 

 

On this night in 2015, Turner attended a game at my alma mater, Greenwood High School.

 

 

 

That evening at Greenwood High School is the only moment I can recall truly realizing just how young Myles Turner still is. On this night, he was merely fulfilling an obligation to attend an appearance. But he went above and beyond simply being there, taking a few photos and saying hi. Turner was the star of the show. At one point, Turner was actually in the student section with Greenwood students, taking selfies, being a kid.

 

 

 

As his rookie season began, one of the first indicators that the Pacers got an absolute steal at the 11th overall pick was Turner’s demeanor, even on a bad night. Likely figured to be worked into the rotation off the bench, Turner quickly worked his way into Indiana’ starting lineup as the season closed in on the All-Star break. Turner would end up starting 30 games for Indiana during his rookie season, quickly evolving from a would-be project of sorts, or the type of player that might take a year or two to grow into a big role on the team. As a rookie he averaged 10 points and almost six rebounds per game, playing an average of 23 minutes per game.

 

 

 

Heading into the 2016-17 season, expectations for Turner grew larger. Around Indianapolis, his name has been more commonly referred to when fans talk about the future of the Pacers, paired right alongside perennial All-Star Paul George. His No.33 jerseys have become a most common sight at home games, and his involvement in the community, going around downtown Indianapolis during the cold winter months to pass out carepacks to the homeless, has only made Turner one of the most popular Pacers on the team’s roster.

 

 

 

Heading into Wednesday night’s game, Turner has averaged about 27 minutes per game, and during his time on the floor, he’s averaged 16 points, about seven rebounds and almost three blocks per game.

 

 

 

On Wednesday night, Indiana defeated Philadelphia in overtime. Turner finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, and he sat at his locker with that same, calm, cool and collected demeanor he’s mastered since the middle of his rookie season — when many 19-year old rookies rarely speak to the media, if at all.

 

 

 

There’s no denying that Turner ‘gets it’. Albeit cliche, it’s a very common obstacle to overcome, especially at such a young age. But Turner not only gets it, he’s growing right before everyone’s eyes, continuously making it evident that his career in the NBA will be a long one.

 

 

 

On Wednesday night, that’s when another factoid worth noting hit me. Actually, it smacked me right in the face. Lost in the rapid development and success that Turner is experiencing in just his second year in the NBA, it slipped my mind that this young man would only be a junior if he were still enrolled at Texas.

 

 

 

Raise your hand if you just cringed a tiny bit. Ok, put your hands down. You’re not the only person picking your jaw up off the floor.

 

 

 

In general, it’s tough to think about what could have been had Myles Turner been used more often and more effectively during his year on the 40 acres. It’s even harder when you imagine Turner playing for coach Smart.

 

 

 

For Smart and his Longhorns, this season should be a very successful campaign – Texas opens up at No.21 in the preseason polls. And while it’s fun to think about how great it would be if Turner was still donning the burnt orange and white, roaming the paint at “The Drum” like a savage warrior defending his territory, Texas fans can’t help but be proud of the now budding, up-and-coming star of the Indiana Pacers.

 

 

 

Following Wednesday night’s win over Philadelphia, I caught up with Turner and talked all things Texas.

 

 

 

CE: How much do you stay in touch with the program and follow Texas basketball?

 

 

 

Turner: “Oh, all the time. I talk to a lot of those guys. Not daily, but probably weekly. I’m a huge fan of what coach Smart is doing down there. I’m really excited for the season they’re about to have.”

 

 

 

CE: What is the fraternity of former Texas players like at the NBA level, and how often have you had interaction with Texas Exes

 

 

 

Turner: “I talk to a lot of (former Texas players) in the offseason. Avery Bradley, that’s one guy I talked to this offseason. I talk to Tristian (Thompson) a little bit, but not much, though. (Tristian) had a busy offseason. KD (Kevin Durant), you know, whenever we see each other, we always say what’s up to each other. But there’s not a plethora of (former Texas) players I talk to a lot (during the season).”

 

 

 

CE: Just like KD, you spent only one year at Texas, a lot of people always like to discount, or take that away a player’s alliance to a respective school because of that, so how do you brush that off? What does the University of Texas mean to you?

 

 

 

Turner: “I guess just by my interaction with (the program) and in the offseason, just being down there. I genuinely love the University of Texas. I plan on, maybe down the road, having a house down there in Austin. It’s one of my favorite cities. I do get a couple questions about why I didn’t stay longer, but, you know, I had personal reasons. But I love that city, and I love that university.

 

 

 

CE: Do you ever find yourself stopping to think about the fact you would only be a junior right now if you were still a Longhorn?

 

 

 

Turner: “(laughing) Ah. A couple of my friends were just like, ‘man, you would only be a junior in college right now!’. It’s quite crazy to think about.”

 

 

 

CE: Going back to your rookie season, whether it was playing against someone who was an idol, or playing against a veteran who was tough on you, what was your first welcome-to-the-NBA moment?

 

 

 

Turner: “I had a couple. The big one was playing against LeBron for the first time. I was like, ‘wow, this is LeBron James’. I think we were right next to each other during a free throw, and he looked at me and I looked at him and I was like, ‘oh, shoot.’ Playing Demarcus Cousins was a big one, at Sacramento, he gave us a tough game. And going to Oklahoma City, playing KD and (the Thunder). That was a huge one as well.”