By InsideHoops.com

We met with Tyson Chandler back in March of 2002, and had a pretty casual chat about this and that. Exclusively on InsideHoops.com, the home of professional insights, biased fan editorials, and everything in between.

InsideHoops.com: When during your senior year of high school did you decide that you were going to definitely go pro?

Tyson Chandler: Well, I always wanted to go pro, but I didn't officially decide to make it happen until after the season.

InsideHoops.com: And how did your life change right around the time you announced you were going pro till draft day...

Tyson Chandler: Well, I was a boy, and now I'm a man. A business man.

InsideHoops.com: And as far as being a person, and dealing with your friends, what's changed?

Tyson Chandler: Nothing's really changed with me. I still surround myself with people that was around me from the get-go. You always have people come up to you... clinging on or whatever, but, I surround myself with the people I've been with all my life.

InsideHoops.com: And how about people coming out of the woodwork trying to be as close with you as possible...

Tyson Chandler: Like I said, I don't even get that close, so, it doesn't bother me.

InsideHoops.com: And as for the NBA, is the biggest change for you the physical strain and conditioning, or learning the NBA game, or a combination of both?

Tyson Chandler: It's a combination of both, because you get mentally drained, and you know we're always in the gym lifting weights, training, conditioning, and we're always doing something.

InsideHoops.com: And what's it like traveling all the time?

Tyson Chandler: All through the beginning of the year it was fairly easy, and I enjoyed it for the most part, but now it's coming to the closing, so you want to play more home games than you do away.

InsideHoops.com: When we spoke with you the first time, you mentioned that some of your favorite players are KG (Kevin Garnett), Rasheed (Wallace); now that you've had a chance to play against them, how have your feelings changed?

Tyson Chandler: I still have the same feelings, I still think they're great players, and I still enjoy to watch them, but now, I'm a player in the NBA and they're players in the NBA, so when I see them, and we play against them, all that stuff gets thrown out the window.

InsideHoops.com: And has anyone impressed you even more than you thought they might?

Tyson Chandler: No, not really. Because everybody I knew was good, nobody really surprised me.