Respert was named the conference's Player of the Year that season and also garnered All-America honors.
Respert is the second-leading scorer in Big Ten history with 2,531 points, trailing only former Indiana star and current Washington Bullet Calbert Cheaney.
Respert was taken by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 1995 draft. He was recently traded to the Toronto Raptors. Daily Sports Writer Jordan Field recently caught up with him.
Daily: Have you been following the 1997 NCAA basketball tournament?
Respert: Oh yeah, but I'm doing horrible in my pool. Everyone on the team has been talking about it. Everyone has been bragging about their old school or something, but I haven't had much to brag about. I guess you could say this has been a rebuilding year for the Spartans.
D: Have you been back to East Lansing since graduating?
R: No, I haven't. I still have a lot of friends there, and my brother was there the last couple years, but it's tough to find time with the busy game schedule we have. We get so few days off, I try to take full advantage of them and just chill.
D: You talked about the lifestyle of the NBA - has your experience in the league been what you expected?
R: Everything is so tough at this level. I came to the league so excited to be a part of it, then I realized that it's not all that glamorous. Everyone is so competitive, and it's not like it was in college. I learned while I was in Milwaukee that everyone is here to make a living and to feed their families.
No one walks around with a silver spoon in their mouth, and you really can't take anything for granted.
D: How did you first react to the league your rookie season when you were playing against guys you looked up to as a kid?
R: When I first came up, I was just so excited to be in the NBA. I was just in awe. I was enjoying the fact I had made it this far, and I wasn't able to compete the way I needed to.
But soon I learned that everyone was here to do a job, and everyone puts their shoes on the same way in this league. Once I wasn't in awe of what was around me, I was able to play my best.
D: As far as competition goes, you were often at your best against Michigan. How intense is the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry?
R: It was the best. Every time we all competed our hardest. Every game we had a new opportunity to get the best out of each other. It was like a clean slate every time we played, even if we had lost the last game. Both teams knew that only the team that could sweep the year had the bragging rights.
It was so competitive, but it was always kept classy. I have to say I really enjoyed those games against Michigan.
D: Have you maintained relationships with your former Michigan State teammates or even the guys from past Michigan teams that are now in the league?
R: Of course. I still talk to guys like Steve Smith, Eric Snow, Anthony Miller and Jamie Feick. Even the guys from Michigan like Chris (Webber) and Juwan (Howard) I see a lot. I think we still have the respect for each other that we had when we were in college. Juwan has really been playing great lately, and so has Chris when he has been healthy. I think Jalen (Rose) could really make it, too. He just has to find a team that needs what he brings to the game. All of us are actually talking about putting together an alumni game between old Michigan and Michigan State players for charity or something.
D: I know your college graduation was a very proud moment for you and your family. What are your thoughts about so many underclassmen entering the NBA draft and the new trend of high school athletes entering the draft?
R: The best decision I ever made was to stay my senior year at State. Staying that year allowed me to have a little better attitude about the game and allowed me to mature enough to play at this level.
As far as so many young guys entering the draft, everybody has their own situation and their own story to explain what they do, but I really think those players are at a disadvantage. I don't doubt that physically they are ready to play at this level, nor do I question their ability, but I can't understand how a high-school kid can be mentally ready for everything in this league. It wasn't long ago that I was in high school, and I would have never imagined not going to college for at least a couple years.
D: After spending a year and a half with the Milwaukee Bucks, you were traded to the Raptors last month. How has the transition to Toronto been for you?
R: God, it's been like night and day. I really never felt comfortable in Milwaukee. I always felt like I had to prove that I belonged in the league - or even that I belonged on the Bucks. Now I feel comfortable and feel as though I may have found a home - or at least hope that I have.
D: A new trend in the NBA now is getting a tattoo, and many of your teammates have them. You are one of the few guys on the team without one. Any plans on getting one?
R: If I got a tattoo my mom would kill me. She's still angry about the earring I got back in my junior year of high school.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Shawn Respert goes up over Michigan's Maurice Taylor during the 1994-95 season. Respert led Michigan State to second place in the Big Ten that season.