/opportunity/ – A set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.
Without that definition though, ‘opportunity’ is merely a word without meaning. In which case, ‘opportunity’ is simply what you make it.
Opportunities are nothing more or less than what you make of them.
At the University of Texas, the slogan says “What starts here changes the world.†For Former Texas Longhorns basketball standout P.J. Tucker, what started in Raleigh, North Carolina, led to three years in Austin, and stints in six different countries around the world.
Tucker was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft. After one season, he spent time with the Colorado 14’ers of the NBA D-League. After that, he went to Israel, Ukraine, Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico and Germany.
His next NBA opportunity didn’t come until 2012 – no doubt it seemed further away than the miles between Germany and Austin, at one point.
After joining the Phoenix Suns in 2012, the former second team All-American and Big 12 player of the year averaged 9.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. Tucker is fulfilling the same role off the bench this season for the Suns, and I was able to catch up with the former Longhorn this week to talk Texas, Rick Barnes and the fraternity of former basketball Longhorns.
Elliot: With your journey to where you are now (with Phoenix), how much do you keep in contact with Coach Barnes?
Tucker: I talk to those guys all the time. I stay in contact with those guys because they’re a really big reason, a really big part of the place where I’m at now. It’s prepared me to be tough, be strong. All the things that I do well in the league (NBA) I got from school, playing at Texas.
Elliot: Texas, first thing is football. For a long time, the second thing was baseball. Right around T.J. Ford’s class and on, do you take pride in being one of those first guys that started changing the culture of basketball at Texas?
Tucker: No doubt about it. It’s funny, after that final four, I came in by myself. My class was just me. To come in with all those guys that played with T.J. – Royal Ivey, James Thomas – some really big time players from LaMarcus (Aldridge) and Boobie (Daniel) Gibson and all the guys that came in after, it was like a train effect. It’s amazing how that happened and to be a part of those first couple teams that really changed Texas Basketball is cool. To be a part of that is cool.
Elliot: It’s funny because a lot of people think it started with Kevin Durant
Tucker: It’s so funny because there’s a lot of guys from so far (away). I’m from North Carolina, Royal from New York, the Canada guys and KD, he’s from Maryland, so it’s guys from everywhere, it’s not just Texas guys.
Elliot: it’s been said that Coach Barnes does less with more. He’s not been to a final four since T.J. Ford was there. He’s not played for a national title. The recruiting is there, but what has been the issue?
Tucker: He kind of got into that Kentucky (turnover rate) where so many good guys come in and one year, two years they’re out of there. We were preseason number one that year when me—I mean you’ve got to think—(when) me, LaMarcus, Daniel Gibson left. Kevin Durant came in, D.J. Augustin came, I mean (if we had not left for the NBA) that would have been eight players on one team so that would have been … (P.J. paused with a grin) … who knows. Year-in, year-out him recruiting guys he knows won’t be there long, trying to bring those kind of guys in to keep the program up, it kind of fell off for a second, but now it’s starting to get back there.
Elliot: You follow the team closely right now, obviously (an excited P.J. Tucker interrupts)…
Tucker: Yeah. For sure! I love Isaiah Taylor, I love all those guys. They’ve got some good guys down there, some good players. Big Cam (Cameron Ridley) down there is a beast. I love the whole team and what coach is bringing back to Texas. I think it’s going to be beautiful.
Elliot: Where do you see this team ending their season?
Tucker: I think they can go as far as they want to. I think, with a lot of veteran guys, even the sophomore guys got experience last year so Coach Barnes, the way he coaches, those guys can go as far as they want to.
Elliot: Lastly, is there a fraternity of the former players in the NBA? Despite not playing with the younger Texas exes in the NBA today, those that committed after your time at Texas, do you all keep in touch?
Tucker: For sure. We’re all brothers. Me and T.J. was just texting the other day, I talk to Royal Ivey weekly. All of us (keep in touch). I just saw Corey Joseph the other night, I just saw Damien James the other night and we were talking. We’re all still brothers. We all have a chain text together, so we talk all the time. It’s cool.
Corey Elliot is a correspondent for HornSports.com. Follow Corey on twitter @CoreyElliot
