The Post’s Steve Serby chatted with the Knicks new point guard, who won a national championship with Duke in 2001.
Q: You played a pickup game (in Chicago) with Barack Obama?
A: A couple of times.
Q: How did that happen?
A: My best friend is Reggie Love, and we went to school together at Duke, so he’s one of Barack’s body men (aides).
Q: So he (Love) invited Barack down to a gym?
A: They usually play all the time, and obviously Barack lives in Chicago. . . . Every Sunday morning, they play at this gym in downtown Chicago, which was right around the corner from me.
Q: And what’s Barack like?
A: He understands how to play, and I think with age, his skills have kinda diminished. But for his age, he’s pretty decent (chuckles).
Q: Did he tell any stories about the campaign trail or anything?
A: No, I think that’s just his time just to get away from all that. When he’s playing basketball, that’s his way just to be himself.
Q: What do you like about his game?
A: He’s a great passer. He has great court vision.
Q: Scouting report on Chris Duhon?
A: Very smart . . . always understands what’s going on in the game. Right now I would say streaky shooter, but I’m thinking I’m gonna pass that right now since I’ve been really hard on that. Pass-first guy . . . very solid defender, on and off the ball . . . he’s a competitor.
Q: Scouting report on Chris Duhon off the court?
A: My personality reflects in the way I play . . . very unselfish . . . very giving . . . put people before me . . . love to be around family and friends, and people that care about me.
Q: Do you like pressure situations?
A: Yeah, love it.
Q: Why?
A: I think it speaks a lot about your character.
Q: What would you tell fans about what they should expect from the Knicks this season?
A: Expect a team that’s gonna compete every night, that’s gonna be fun to watch. We’re gonna put up a lot of points, and we’re gonna win a lot of games.
Q: A lot of games meaning . . .?
A: We’re definitely gonna win more than 23 games but . . . we should make the playoffs.
Q: Why do you think this is a playoff team?
A: The talent has always been here. I just think they needed direction. I think Coach D’Antoni’s style of play suits a lot of the guys’ styles of play individually, and we can continue to build on our chemistry. We can compete with a lot of teams.
Q: What do you hope Knicks fans 20 years from now are saying about Chris Duhon?
A: He was a part of getting the Knicks back to where they belong – and that’s one of the best franchises in the league.
Q: Biggest character on your new team?
A: Nate (Robinson).
Q: An example?
A: He’s the one that, if you go in your locker and you’re missing something, he probably hid it.
Q: The first time you played in the Garden as a Duke freshman in the preseason NIT?
A: I was real, real nervous. You’re talking about probably the most famous arena in the world. I’ve never really been in an arena that big before.
Q: Favorite childhood memory?
A: Getting my basketball goal for Christmas when I was nine.
Q: Your mother, Vivian?
A: Single-parent household, she made a lot of sacrifices for me to get where I am, as far as me playing on the AAU team, to having a pair of sneakers to play in. . . . We wouldn’t have lights for two weeks, when she would just hold off on paying bills just so I could have the opportunity to play on my AAU team.
Q: What was it like growing up in Slidell, La?
A: I had bunk beds with no mattresses. I just slept in the frames on the floor. It was a tough life, but we made it work. It made me appreciate everything I got, and made me work harder to get things that I wanted.
Q: The first time you saw the damage left by Hurricane Katrina?
A: My mom went first – she went with the first truckload, and I was supposed to go with the next truckload, and she called and told me not to come; she didn’t think I was ready to see it. I actually didn’t go until a couple of months later. It was tough to see people’s houses that you stayed in were knocked down, people living in trailers. My high school was destroyed . . . everything just . . . disaster.
Q: What about the home you grew up in?
A: The roof was off . . . eight (feet) of mud in the house. We had to pretty much gut it out.
Q: You were a Duke fan growing up?
A: I just always was attracted to their style of play.
Q: Compare Coach K with Coach D’Antoni.
A: They both take pride in what they do. They both prepare harder than a lot of coaches. Coach D’Antoni’s more relaxed, and cracks a lot more jokes, to where Coach (Krzyzewski) is down to business. He has his lighter side, but when it’s on the court, he’s all business.
Q: One D’Antoni joke?
A: We practiced like bad three times in a row; we were watching film of our scrimmages, and he was like, “Geez, the way you guys are practicing, (winning) 23 games was a positive!”
Q: The Cameron Crazies?
A: There’s no fans like ’em; they’re creative, they’re loud, they’re loyal.
Q; Is it true that the first time you put on a Duke jersey, you looked in the mirror and said, “That’s a sexy man in the mirror!”
A: (Laughs) Yeah, that’s true. I walked into the bathroom with my jersey in my hand and I put it on just to see myself in the mirror with it on, and that was just the first thing that came to my head (smiles).
Q: Did you hate North Carolina?
A: Schoolwise yeah. The players, no.
Q: Most embarrassing moment?
A: It goes back to high school, actually my last home game, and I guess I was just so excited I forgot to put my shorts on. I just put my warmup top over my tights, and (as they are) calling starting lineups, I’m just sitting there in my tights (laughs).
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Dr. Martin Luther King; Nelson Mandela; Oprah Winfrey.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Coming to America.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Denzel Washington.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Eva Mendes.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Enchiladas.
