The Free Press caught up with Central Michigan product Chris Kaman during the Pistons' recent tilt with the Clippers. The interview started out light-hearted enough, but then got, well, a little scary:
So how's life? I've just been hanging out, you know? Pretty much just playing basketball, and when that's over, I pretty much just come home and relax. Actually, one thing I do in my spare time is I shoot a bow and arrow in my backyard.
At trees? Animals? What? At targets, target shooting. That's something that takes my time up. I've been doing it since I was little, but I've never done it in my backyard. Actually, I found out it's illegal. I'm not supposed to do it anymore. I still do it sometimes, but I'm scared I'm going to get in trouble.
How'd you figure out you were breaking the law? My brother was at my house and he shot an arrow that landed in my neighbor's roof, and the neighbor called the police. That's how I found out it's illegal. It went right into the roof, and it was stuck in there. He didn't want one coming through his window, so he called the cops. He's got kids and stuff. They told me it was illegal, and I didn't know. I don't usually miss the target too much.
So are you going to keep shooting? That's what I'm debating now. I'm not sure. I've done it a couple times since then. But I don't know if I want to risk going to jail or getting a ticket.
Yikes. I guess you can take the boy out of Michigan, but you can't take the Michigan out of the boy. Kaman has also had a hard time adapting to West Coast people:
So what's the best thing about living in California? There isn't a whole lot. I don't like it. I don't like it at all. I like the weather, that's probably the best thing. Other than that, the traffic sucks, the people are jerks. Not everybody, that's a generalized statement, I understand, but for the most part a lot of people you'll find are kind of arrogant and stuck up. I'm used to Michigan and Midwest people.
I'm sure that'll endear him to Penny Marshall, Billy Crystal and the rest of the Clippers' season ticket holders.
CATCHING UP WITH ... Chris Kaman [Detroit Free Press]