This is great. This shows that if we keep working hard, we can play with anybody out there.

That's the way we would like to play for 32 minutes. We'll hit a groove, get in our run, and play real well.

Gary can still play. He's going to be even more effective now that he has another guy in front of him. In Boston, he was called upon to be the Gary Payton of old.

It definitely is a little strange to have to play against someone who recruited me. The main thing is I'm trying not to focus on that too much, about playing against him and playing against old coaches. We're going against Washington.

If something happens to either Brian or Book, they'd be rotating in and they'll both play well.

This is the first full tour of the play (which premiered in 2004), and that it starts here is significant. Gardner was born in Jackson, and the author worked with some of his family to put the show together.