Gatling on being traded

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01/29/2002 - Updated 01:23 AM ET
A 20-second timeout with Chris Gatling
Positive spin on moving eases transition
By David Maxwell, AFP

Miami's Chris Gatling, 34, has played for eight teams in his 11-year NBA career and is enjoying his third go-round with the Heat. USA TODAY NBA reporter Roscoe Nance sat down with Gatling, who is single, to discuss how players deal with the business side of basketball, which requires them to become hoop vagabonds of sorts.

Q. What has been the most difficult part of changing teams as frequently as you have?

A. Just moving, going to different places and having to meet new people and new teammates. You have to start all over again and learn the city and make new friends. Living in a hotel all the time gets sort of redundant after a while. But the good thing about it is you know other teams want you, and you're a valuable necessity.

Q. Which move was the most difficult for you to make?

A. Probably leaving here, then coming back a year later. It was difficult because at first I was here (in June 2000) and I had stuff set up. Then I'm gone (in August 2000) and then I'm back.

Q. How much difficulty do you have adjusting to new coaches and new teammates?

A. Not much because I've played against so many guys and they know me. It's just learning a lot of different systems, and sometimes they're all alike. Sometimes it's frustrating offensively because you're trying to find your niche and trying to adjust to the team's scheme of things and what they do.

Q. How difficult is moving around on your personal life?

A. It's tough. It's been tough trying to keep a good relationship as far as my social life. But the positive thing is I'm meeting new people and getting a lot of business contacts. I'm still single and a lot of the reason is because of that.

Q. This is your third stint with Miami. What is the key to being able to return to a team that you've played with previously?

A. You're not supposed to burn bridges in the league. I just try to do what I'm supposed to do, be a true professional, work hard. I try to stay positive and never have any negatives around me off the court and on the court. When you don't play a lot, when you're trying to find minutes, sometimes you get a lot of negativity. The only thing I can do is try to be ready. You have to be ready. Being a professional, that's the steps you have to take. The key is having a good attitude on the court and off the court and being respectful of your teammates and having guys who like to be around you, wanting to go places and do things with you. I try to do that. A lot of guys draw to me because of my experience and I've been with a lot of teams and been in a lot of different situations.