Here at Florida State, sports are big, but basketball during March Madness, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, is huge! This year FSU made it to the Sweet 16, which we haven’t done since 1993! Our very own, 6’10”, 235-pound power forward, Bernard James, took the time to answer a few questions once he landed in San Antonio last Wednesday, a few days before the big game against Virginia Commonwealth. Being in the Sweet 16 is an electrifying experience for James. He said, “It feels great, especially it being my first year.” Sometimes he even feels like a tourist when the team travels, taking pictures and walking around whenever he gets a chance.
Born February 7th, 1985, Bernard James grew up in Savannah, Georgia in a military family. They moved around a lot, every three years or so, which resulted in traveling all over. James says that even though he loved moving around, since he enjoys traveling, it hindered him from maintaining lengthy childhood friendships. Last fall, James began to play basketball for FSU. He transferred over from TCC, after earning his AA, and before then, he served in the U.S. Air Force for about 6 years. Growing up, he wasn’t a big fan of schooling, so he joined the Air Force at age 17. He loved being able to take care of himself at such a young age and not having anyone tell him how to live his life. When asked what was hard about coming back to school after serving in the Air Force for so long, he said getting back into studying was difficult because he never really liked school. He admitted to never being bad at it, but like any other student, he doesn’t like learning about things he doesn’t care about. As a junior and an economics major with a minor in business, James enjoys attending any class related to his interests.
When asked what his favorite thing about being an FSU athlete is, he said the fact that “school is for free” is a great advantage. On the down side, he claimed his least favorite aspect of being a college athlete is the spontaneity of his coaches never telling the team what they’re doing and where they’re going. Like any other basketball player, James watches the NBA. His favorite team is the Boston Celtics and his favorite player is Kevin Garnett. He said the NBA is a possibility for him, but he is not sure yet. He said a disadvantage about playing college ball at his age, 26, is the fact that most NBA players retire in their mid to late 30’s. On the other hand, the fact that he has had more time to develop physically and mentally is a great advantage on and off the court. When asked if he thinks people view him differently because of his age he said, “Yes and No.” He agreed that those who know his story and know what he’s been through tend to respect him more than those who don’t know much about him.
Like most athletes at FSU, Bernard James has a lifetime of character building experiences, but his is not from being on the court. “My deployment in Iraq, all that time … stands out in my head,” said Bernard. However, his best moments on the court have been the last few games in the NCAA tournament. Even though Virginia Commonwealth beat us by one point, 72-71, in the last 7.1 seconds in over time, last Friday, it was a hell of a game and our players did an amazing job! With five blocks all after halftime, James blocked Burgess’ shot attempt in the last few seconds of the second half, putting the game into overtime. His block was one of the biggest plays of the game!
When asked who his role models are, James explained, “I try not to focus on one single person, I definitely admire different traits from different people though.” Admiring only the good traits about different people can motivate us even more to be the best that we can be.
A normal day for an FSU athlete is quite different than most students. A typical day for James is class at 8 am until the late afternoon, and then practice starting between 2-4 pm. Practices usually last 3-4 hours, including conditioning, drills, running plays, and more. Weightlifting is done outside of practice. The fact that about 5 hours of the players’ day is dedicated to only basketball is a huge time commitment. Their dedication to taking FSU to the top is undeniable and most of all, admirable.
Towards the end of the interview, James was nice enough to even answer some fan questions a few people wanted to know:
Q: What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
A: Dulce de Leche or “Dulce de Luche” as James pronounced it.
Q: What is your favorite place to eat lunch?
A: Crispers
Q: How do you feel when you block someone’s shot on national TV?
A: It’s definitely a burst of energy. It feels good. I really like blocking shots.
Q: After becoming a sergeant in the Armed forces, do you find stressful situations in games like free throws less stressful?
A: I don’t get too stressed out on the court. I have been tight on the line though, I’ve been working on that, but I don’t really get nervous. Then again, it might be nerves on the line.