Brook Lopez Talks Fresh Slate and his NBA Dream

Center Brook Lopez has gone through a few rough years since joining the NBA with the Nets. The 12-70 season, the mono-plagued year, and a year where he pretty much didn't play add up to an experience that would have left most players frustrated. But Lopez, he's always been that unique character. FOX News Latino sat down to talk with Lopez about the all-new Brooklyn Nets (of course), his family, his last season in NJ, and comic books.

Fox News Latino: What has been the major difference for this franchise since establishing itself in Brooklyn after 30 years in New Jersey?

Brook Lopez: It's so different. I think that's the key word. I think everyone just comes in very optimistic with a brighter outlook. You know they're excited because we have a lot of pieces that can work together very well as long as we come in and work every day. So it's honestly very fun to come in and work with these guys.

FNL: With new players and new colors is there a lot of optimism about this new era?

Lopez: Everything is new. You look top to bottom, it's like a completely fresh slate. It's very exciting to start that way especially when you got guys like Deron, Joe, Gerald, Hump. You can just name everybody from top to bottom because like I said everyone is such a great player in their own right and at the same time we all complement each other so well.

I underlined the parts of the answer that stuck out most, or are the most important. Looking at those two responses, notice how he mentions that he thinks the team was well-constructed, with players that "compliment each other so well". During the off-season Nets fans were clamoring about the different combinations of players, how they fit and so forth. It looks like Lopez agrees, but judging from the first few games, its not what it looks like on the defensive end.

FNL: You’re coming off a rollercoaster season. After returning following your broken foot you fractured it again. Now your name has forever been linked in trades for Dwight Howard and even for Carmelo Anthony. How tough was last season for you?

Lopez: It's been very tough. I've heard the talk about Brooklyn since my rookie year. They always talked about how great it was going to be and everything and how exciting it was. You saw where we were right now and it's just a little bit of a bleak outlook. I tried to remain optimistic. It was difficult to envision this sort of change back then, the way it's gone. It's been incredible. But as it got further along I knew the Nets were the team I wanted to be on as they started to show me more and more of their plan. I saw what they were trying to do with this franchise, the moves they were trying to make - when we got (Mikhail) Prokhorov becoming the owner of the team; when I heard (former majority owner Bruce) Ratner talking about building the Barclays Center; seeing Jay-Z at the groundbreaking, hearing him talking about the Brooklyn Nets. It looked like a very positive thing and it was something I wanted to be a part of.

This struggle that the players have to stay optimistic for a team's future that is a few years away appears to be a common trend. In this response it is clearly stated  here, with Lopez likely talking about how it was like going through the abysmal seasons in NJ after the departure of Vince Carter. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James both said themselves that was one of the reasons they did not sign with the Nets. They liked to potential of the franchise, they liked the plan and the possibility to be the cornerstones for a brand-new team, but time was the problem. It was just too far away for them, they wanted to win now. The case was likely for most NBA players that the Nets tried to recruit.

FNL: At what point in life did you and Robin know you were destined for the NBA?

Lopez: We constantly knew our whole life that we wanted to play in the NBA. I think we just took it one step at a time from elementary school basketball to middle school to high school to traveling teams and going to Stanford. We obviously knew we wanted to play at Stanford before we went to the NBA. I remember my mom always told this story when I was in the second grade I just got in the car and said 'mom before I play in the NBA, I want to go to Stanford.' I just took it as a goal at a time.

This was just an interesting quote, where both brothers set themselves goals at such a young age to play at Stanford (which they attended) and the NBA.

FNL: Is this (comic books) something we will see the Lopez brothers venture into after you hoops days are over?

Lopez: No question! You know a lot of the time Robin and I text each other, a lot of times he will text me pictures of what he's drawing or he's been working on. We just bounce ideas back and forth.

Previously, Lopez mentioned that he and his brother were already in the process of making comic books. No surprise here that they want to advance something that they love into their future.

FNL: How does your comic book collection stack up?

Lopez: I couldn't put a number on it. I've been building a room in my house in Fresno (California). It's just dedicated just to my comic books stuff and all that memorabilia.

Comic books are to Brook Lopez as shoes are to Joe Johnson.

Click on the link below to read the full interview from FOX News Latino, especially about his family. Athletics seems to run in his family, yet Lopez is labeled as lacking athleticism. He also talks about his relationship with both his brothers, Robin and Chris Lopez. Give it a read.

Brook Lopez Talks Latino Roots and the Brooklyn Nets' 'Fresh Slate' - FOX News Latino

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