BDSSP: Backstage with ... Jerry Stackhouse

Off the set of the BDSSP, FOXSports.com recently caught up with Detroit Pistons scoring leader Jerry Stackhouse to talk about all-star snubs, MJ and afros. FOXSports.com: The Hughes Brothers (who have worked on advertisements with Stack) said I could joke around with you. Jerry Stackhouse: (Laughs) Yeah, those guys. FS: Actually, Alan wanted you to know he was the man at playing NBA Live with a player he liked to call 'Gnachouse (pronounced Yak-house). Do you get into the video games? JS: Not much. No. I'm not into video games. The fellas come over and play all the time, guys on the team but not me. FS: Who gets you? JS: I got a friend who always plays the Pistons no matter what. He can't be beat. FS: How cool is that, to be immortalized in a video game? JS: It's fun, but the awe of it kinda wore off as soon as I was coming out of college, being able to see games that you're on. Being about eight years in now, it's kind of worn off. But it's definintely exciting at first. FS: Back to the Hughes Brothers ... you guys hooked up for that Nike commercial with the 70's theme to it. Did you get into that character? Could you see yourself with a big ole' fro? JS: Yeah, I guess I could see myself back in the 70's with a fro. And in that commerical "The Hustler" was my name, and I've hustled, so it was pretty easy to get into that. Especially with the star-studded cast they had with Vince (Carter) and Paul (Pierce) and everybody. It was great fun. FS: Who gave you the most crap about Carolina's record last season? JS: Everybody. I can't even name one. There was no first place for that. There were a lot of first places. But I guess when you've had the success that we've had over time it was bound to happen whenever we had a change or transition. And that's all it was — we were in transition. We're going to be back, probably this year. FS: How much of a difference was there between the Michael Jordan who was training to get back to the NBA last summer and the guy who used to school you at Chapel Hill in your college offseasons? JS: There were a lot of guys in Chicago last summer. I don't think it was set up as a test to see where he was as much as everybody made it out to be. Michael just loves to play basketball and he wanted to accumulate the best talent that he could to help him make a decision. It wasn't soley to make the decision. He probably knew he was going to play well before that. FS: So did you tell him your thoughts on his comeback at that time? JS: Naw, man. How can you give the greatest guy to ever play basketball any advice? If anything I still had my ears open to get some pointers from him! But I have to say it was a little gratifying this year — after he was with the Bulls and they beat up on everybody — to finally get the chance to finally get the chance to kinda beat back up on them. His supporting cast wasn't as strong as it was when he was with the Bulls. That makes a huge difference. You can be the greatest player to ever walk, but if you don't have guys around you complement you, you're not going to win in this league. FS: With MJ's comeback, you were left off the all-star roster. I heard you went to Las Vegas instead. Did you feel snubbed? JS: It was a tough situation because I thought that I played well enough to be on the team. And at that point my team was one of the teams to have the most success. But the dynamics of a guy like Michael Jordan coming back kinda changed the whole landscape and I understand that. But with that being said, does that mean that I don't want him to come back this year so that could possibly free up a spot? No, not at all. I still think if I go out and do what I did last year and the team competes and plays how it did last year, there'll be a spot for me on the team. FS: Did you watch the game? JS: Yeah, I watched the game from my room. I just enjoyed the time off. I didn't worry about not being there. I would have loved, loved to have been back, coming back to the city that traded me away. I had been there (the all-star game) two years previously and this was the year that I felt that I played better than I did in both of the years that I did make the team. But what could I do about it? I went out there and won a little money, so it worked out pretty good. I probably would have gone to the all-star game and spent what I won! Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period air weeknights at 8 p.m. local time depending on live events and late night at 11 p.m. local time.