ABOUT ME
By Twan's Mother Kathy
NBA
When Antawn was drafted fourth by the Toronto Raptors, I was a little disappointed because I wanted him to be closer. He was also upset because he wanted to be closer too. Then when he got traded to Golden State, we just figured that we had to deal with what we had been dealt. We had no idea that he was going to be traded. We were all back there trading hats. I'm really glad that he didn't end up in Toronto to be honest. I'm not trying to bad mouth Canada or the city of Toronto but that's where the draft was and it was cold. I didn't like the weather or the difference in currency. They would have been able to cheat me out of my money for the rest of my life because I couldn't keep up with it. I'd have to keep a calculator on me at all times!
I think he was happy in California. We weren't really able to travel there much or to see him play at other places because his younger brother was still in school. We probably went to visit him four times during his rookie year.
I don't think that Antawn liked being with Golden State at first. He wasn't getting playing time as he had been accustomed to all of his life. He was struggling with playing another position (small forward as opposed to power forward). I know that the fact that he wasn't playing and that his team was playing so badly was somewhat depressing for him. But he adapted, and improved his game little by little each year. He came back to Charlotte and spent the summer at home that year.
I think that all of the losing with the Warriors really affected him. I think it would affect anyone. When they are winning, no one thinks about losing. I know that sometimes when they played hard and got so close to winning and then lost it in the end, it was upsetting. He would always calls after each game. He was usually a little down and out when he called especially after they'd lost a close game. When he called after the team had won, he was so happy that I ccould hear it in his voice. As long as they won some of them, he was a little happy.
I know that after his third year, it was somewhat upsetting for him because the organization was hoping to be better. They started out well by defeating the Spurs and then started losing again. They started out that way the season before by winning one more game than they had before in the early half of the year. Then they came out after the All-Star break and could barely win a game. No matter what, Antawn has always given his all on the court and that makes us proud of him.
I remember when Antawn scored 51 points in back to back games. We were so proud of him! That was so unbelievable. He called after each of those games, but especially after the second game when they defeated the Lakers. They had lost the first of those two, against Seattle, but he was still excited when we spoke with him. That was the year that he didn't make the All-Star team. He was so close and he really expected to be chosen. It was really disappointing for him. It didn't bother us because he got to come home and visit us. We always like to see him every chance we get, even if he means he misses the All-Star game.