Five Questions with NBA Radio Anaylyst Alaa Abdelnaby

And after playing in 256 regular season games - not to mention 17 postseason games - the 6'10 forward/center can also be heard hosting Running The Point on NBA Radio on SIRIUS (Saturdays & Sundays 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. ET), not to mention working in London for Arab Television.

In Five Question, the Cairo, Egypt born Abdelnaby discusses his ever-changing opinion on today's media, how league wide "rumors" have hurt the league and the one aspect of the NBA he would alter if he could.

Do you have a new found respect for journalist/sports writers that you didn't during your playing days? And what was opinion of the "media" when you played?

I definitely have a healthy respect for the media now that I have joined their ranks. Their ability to give different perspectives on the goings on day-to-day, especially when it's an in depth perspective and something you just don't get from watching them playing.

When I played, I liked some members of the media but really didn't understand the false reports or rumors. That was awful. Reading things about you or your teammates that you knew was simply not true was no fun. The harsh criticism was at times a bit much. I would always think of my sister who is a Surgeon and the gall it would take to criticize what she does when I've never grabbed a scalpel. I could watch her doing her thing but it didn't mean I could critique what she did that day. In pro sports people who've never played do it all the time. I used to tell them that I learned to read and write when I was six and I moved on. They were still learning how to do both. My feelings have changed now that I'm the "media". I've learned how the hustle works and have learned to appreciate the job they do.

So then do you think the rumor mill and "media" coverage with the NBA has gotten better or worse?

No question it has gotten worse. Because something that has no legs can wind up at the finish line because these extra sources can distort the reality of a situation and make it something its not. That's really troubling. But thankfully the truth eventually comes out, even if it's too late. Ask Kobe (Bryant) and his accountant. But that's the world we all currently inhabit.

A study came out earlier this year that 60% of retired NBA players go broke 5 years after they stop receiving payment from the league. Does this number surprise you?

That's a surprising number. It stems from two things in my opinion. Guys forget where they came from. Most of our NBA players didn't grow up with money. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true. Guys with poor backgrounds who want to compensate for it. If they would look back on the way they were raised and find a happy medium their money would last. Second, they forget where they are. They spend money like it's always going to be coming in, forgetting that their job is very temporary - at the most ten years- and that's for the select few. Most careers are a lot shorter.

What was the happiest time of your career and when were you the unhappiest?

I always tell people that making it to the NBA was the most thrilling and disappointing thing in my life, all at the same time. There was no way it was going to live up to my lofty expectations. I wish it was about basketball but it wasn't. Like in any business, there are liars, cheaters and two-faced back-stabbers. I grew up a lot from my days in the league and for that I'm thankful. I should say that it wasn't all bad. Specifically, not playing was probably the worst times and getting a chance to play on a winning team every night was definitely the biggest thrill and going up against the best in the world. I will say this - the people that I write about, most of them are no longer in the league.

So much is being made about possible changes within the league this offseason: instant replay, playoff format and the age limit are just a few areas of concern. But if you could change one aspect of the NBA today, what would it be?

There would be one thing I would like to change and I would get rid of agents and entourages. I just think as a whole, they bring a bunch of untruths to our players and their families. Very few of these individuals have the player's interest in mind. They are the pigs eating at the trough. They give subjective advice and are usually out for themselves. It's sad. For example, they tell kids who should stay in college to leave and ruin their opportunity. It's essential that these people speak the truth, but they don't.