FHD: Last time I saw you, we were at your annual High Caribbean in White Party. How are you?

ADONAL: I'm doing, really well. It was a very good party. The summer is a time to do really, fun stuff and to do stuff that shines light in different issues. And the Caribbean in White party is something that we've developed to help bring awareness to the Caribbean population and Caribbean music. It was a good opportunity to bring all those things to the Bay Area. I've been very, very fortunate to be involved with something like this for almost five years now. Not only for exporting Caribbean culture to the Bay Area, but more importantly to try and raise money for my new foundation, the Kerosene Lamp Foundation.

FHD: By the way, I had a great time at the party as always.

ADONAL: I'm glad to hear that.

FHD: One of the highlights of the evening was your dancing. I was amazed the first time I saw you dance. You're a great dancer. Did you dance a lot as a kid?

ADONAL: When I was growing up, my grandmother used to put us in front of our elders. She would turn the music on and they would critique our dancing. Because dancing was a very important part of our culture, we would have these dance contests. And the winners got some money. So, that was always a good motivator for us. And then, if it was someone's kid that won, he would say: "Oh yeah, that's my genes dancing out there." So we did that as kids and the older folks got a kick out of it too. So dancing was very much an important part of my upbringing.

FHD: Speaking of things you did as a kid, can you tell "Flawless" readers how you were initially introduced to the game of basketball? And was basketball something that you saw in your future as a young boy growing up Canouan, St. Vincent and the Grenadines?

ADONAL: Absolutely not. I didn't see basketball in my future when I was a child. I started basketball at the age of 15. The island I grew up in, Canouan, did not have any basketball (the main sports are soccer and cricket). But I went to high school on another island, they had a lot of basketball there. It was brought to the island buy a guy who fought with the U.S. military in Grenada. And he brought that game to Union Island, when I was there. I remember my first day in school, everyone was telling me: "You're so tall. You have to play basketball. You really have to play basketball." And I was saying: "What is basketball?" I never really did anything like that before. And I remember going onto the basketball court for the first time and thought: "This is the strangest sport ever. I had to dribble a ball; you can pass it behind your back and do all kinds of crazy stuff." The first time I played it, I was terrible. I got my first rebound and ran to the other side of the court and forgot to dribble. I thought that was going to be the end of my basketball career. But I kept playing and a year later, I was able to go represent my country with my local team. And while we were in Dominica, two professors from Colgate University were there and asked me if I ever thought about ever using my basketball skills to get an education. And a few weeks later, they brought me to the U.S. and the rest is history.

FHD: People may not know this but you put up some pretty hefty stats at Hamilton Central High in New York where you were a McDonalds' Parade All American. Equally impressive are the numbers that you accumulated at Colgate. Your rebounding and point totals (20.4 pts, 17.7 rebounds and 5.66 blocks per game) are higher than those of some pretty impressive collegiate and professional athletes. Your 492 career blocks are 11 more than Tim Duncan's 481, ending your career collegiate career as the third player in NCAA history to have accumulated 1700 points, 1000 blocks, and 1000 rebounds. In addition to those numbers you left with 450 blocks as well. You did all that while being a darn good student, graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in History. Tell us, how proud are you of those accomplishments?

ADONAL: I'm very, very proud of all of them; especially graduating from college. Because being the first one in my family, albeit being one of very few people in my island to go to college, it was great to come here and get the opportunity to finish my college career and really hold up my degree in front of my mom and my family. One of the fortunate things I'm able to do is help the other people in my family, two of my siblings, graduate from college. It's the most proud accomplishment I can think of. I've always worked hard. But just too really see that degree everyday and knowing where I came from, where I probably could have never gone to college because we couldn't afford it, it's the most amazing accomplishment I could have. Seeing my mom's face and how proud she looked, that will never change.

FHD: You've been in the NBA for 10 years with the same team your entire career with free agency, that's almost impossible these days. What do you attribute to that stability as well the success of your career?

ADONAL: I've been with the Warriors for 10 years. But what I find funny about it is that I've had eight coaches during those 10 years. At the same time, I've been the one constant player the team has had. I'm beginning to think that I'm the one who's driving everyone away. But I think that 1) I continue to get better as a player. And 2) I've been very active in my community. I think that it's part of our moral responsibility as athletes to continue to make fans feel welcome. And to really make them feel special and be a part of a game that we love. It's certainly a game that I love. So, being a part of the community and my involvement in terms of getting better every year and trying to come in and do the right thing, I think that has really made a difference.

FHD: Now, Don Nelson is back as head coach for the Warriors, his second go around with the team and your second stint with him as a coach. How do you think his veteran coaching will impact the team this season?

ADONAL: One of the most incredible things about a coach like Don Nelson is that he certainly brings a winning attitude. The last time the Warriors were in the playoffs, he was the coach. So, he certainly brings a no-nonsense approach to the game. He's going to push and demand excellence from everyone. And even if you're not playing, he's still going to demand excellence from you and wants you to get better everyday. I think we have a very, very real chance to make the playoffs. I think we have a real opportunity to be a better team. And the longer he stays, the better we're going to be. One of the things that he does that a lot of other coaches don't do is that he profoundly understands the game. And he understands how to teach it. And he expects his players to become smarter and be able to think for themselves. And I think that's a great thing for today's youth. A lot of us don't really have a technical background. But he's prides himself that the people he coaches need to be smart so that when they walk away from this game, they have the expertise and instruments and expertise if they themselves want to be a coach. Avery Johnson is a great example of that. So, I've always been impressed with Coach Nelson. I may not exactly get the minutes I want. But certainly, I've learned more from this guy this year than from any other individual in the past.

FHD: FHD not only keeps up with the latest hair trends but the latest fashion trends as well. I know the NBA now has a "business casual" dress code. What were your thoughts on the implementation of the dress code?

ADONAL: Well, we make a pretty good amount of money. I don't think it should be that difficult to dress nicely. I think the league has an obligation to market itself in a way in which they think is the best way to make the league accessible to people. We're all going to complain about it because we don't want to think we have to wear a uniform to work. But I think at the end of the day, wearing a collared shirt and a belt, I don't think that's very demanding all too much. The policy was in the B-list of items when we were discussing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Nobody thought it was going to be a big deal. But at the end of the day, the league is trying to do what is best for the league.

FHD: With you being 6'10 and all, do you have a specific designer you work with? If so, who? If not, we need to get you hooked up with my boys in Las Vegas over at Dal Dio Custom Clothiers and Furriers. A shameless plug, I know.

ADONAL: I like to get my clothes from all over the place. When I travel, I like to bring back art and I like to bring back clothes. So, I buy a lot of local clothes. When I go to Japan or Sri Lanka, I like to have something traditional made. I love Italian designers. And I definitely shop a lot when I go to L.A. And I have an individual tailor who makes suits for me. I like to design some of the clothes that I wear. I like the idea of mix it up sometimes. I've very eclectic when it comes to clothes.

FHD: Now, I know all the ladies out there would love too know what types of hairstyles you like to see on women. Do you have a preference for short versus long hair or weaves versus natural hair?

ADONAL: I definitely like long hair. As long as it doesn't fall onto my hands, I don't really care if it's weaved or not. I like to see a woman's hair down. But I also like the opportunity to see it up. Because you can see her neck, which is one of the more sensual parts. So I like to see that sometimes. I like the hair down. But when we're going out, I like to see it up as well.

FHD: We are going to switch gears a little. I know in 2001 you founded your program Democracy Matters. Can you tell FHD readers a little bit about the program?

ADONAL: Democracy Matters is an organization that I started in order to give young people a voice and raise concern over campaign finance reform. We believe that the influence of money in politics has been made for the corruption of our whole political system. What we're trying to do is to educate the young people to really take back the political system - to advocate for policies that will help eliminate money from politics. In general, what we try to do is to get young people politically active. They have the power to change the world they find themselves in. We want them to grow up to be President - without the caveat of needing to raise millions of dollars. We want local people to run for office and we don't want to tell them that they have to raise this much money if they want to be President. We want people to be represented in the political system who have our best interest at heart - not necessarily people who have been bought by corporations or other individual contributions. We believe that democracy should be a system that is pure and certainly one that where our best is given the opportunity to change the world. That's what we advocate.

FHD: It's encouraging to see professional athletes and celebrities involved in the community. What other community programs are you involved in?

ADONAL: I recently started a second foundation, which is called the Kerosene Lamp Foundation. It gives young people the opportunity - through basketball - to learn social skills like the importance of staying in school. Also, in learning basketball skills, they are learning the importance of nutrition and sports psychology. Basically, they're learning to be more well-rounded. We've been trying to do that in the Caribbean as well as in New Orleans. And we're going to try and expand that to the Bay Area in the future.

FHD: Thinking about the future. What are your plans after the NBA?

ADONAL: Right now, I'm pursing a Master's degree in sports psychology. And I hope to someday pursue a career in that field. If not, certainly I'm going to work on my business degree later on. But basically, I've put myself in a situation where I am constantly challenged and that I am doing many different things. I don't like to get bored. So I like to constantly move and give myself a lot of opportunities to go a lot of different directions. I think the knack of being truly successful is ending your basketball career and having five or six different paths waiting for you. That would be truly incredible. And I will continue to put different skills in my basket. And I will use them one day when I need them.

FHD: I was at a recent Warriors game; during the half-time entertainment, an employee who's been with the organization over 30 years was asked questions relating to moments in Warrior history. One of the questions was, "Who is your all-time favorite Warrior?" Ironically, his answer was Adonal Foyle. How does it make you feel to know that people have that kind of admiration for you?

ADONAL: It is profoundly touching. I think it's touching because it's a relationship that is mutual. These people have seen me grow as a person over the last ten years. They've seen me through the thick, they've seen me through the thin, they've seen me through the ugly and they've seen me through the beautiful in terms of all the experiences. I think that the one thing that I will always remember is how special the people you work with are and how special the fans are and the commitment that they have given to the game. We were losing and there are still people in the stands cheering us on. Even though we were 6-20, they were there and they were loyal. And you need to give some of that loyalty back. When someone says they like me, I feel that it is a mutual love and that we try to understand each other. I really try to understand them and I really try to see where the frustration comes from. But when they say they love me, I try to let them know how much I love them too. And I will be forever grateful to the people in the Bay Area. Because I think that the person I am today is a large part of who they are.

FHD: You're very grounded, focused and a great role model. What advice do you have for NBA rookies on and off the court?

ADONAL: I think that there are many things I can say. There are many pitfalls. Because as athletes, a lot of us don't understand the business aspect of the league when they first start their careers. They only understand the basketball part. This NBA life has so many facets. And it can eat you up if you're not ready. But the main thing I would tell a rookie is to watch the veteran players and learn from them. Ask them questions and start taking care of your body. You're going to deal with injuries but you have to find a way to get over injuries. You must eat right. And you must enjoy the ride. Because it can go by really fast.

FHD: Adonal it's been great talking with you. Thanks for your time. We wish you much success.

ADONAL: The pleasure is mine. Thank you very much.

You can find more information on Golden State Warriors Adonal Foyle (#31) by logging onto: www.adonalfoyle.com and www.nba.com/warriors

Contributing Writer: Bobby L. King TC Public Relations