One of my favourite parts of writing for Hoops Addict is the opportunity it provides me to chat with athletes that I admire and respect. While a lot of old school basketball fans loathe the AND1 tour – as a coach there have been countless practices where I’ve cussed the mixtapes out under my breath for what they result in my players attempting – I’ve been a huge fan of The Professor since he broke into the tour. Whether it was his great court vision, creativity off the dribble or his tireless work ethic, he’s become one of the few players not in the NBA that I follow closely.

Needless to say when I got the chance to chat with him about his role in Ball Don’t Lie I jumped at the opportunity.

In most interviews I go into things with an open mind, however, I have to admit I entered into this interview with a heavy dose of skepticism. Why? Because Sticky is one of my favourite all-time characters from a book and I had doubts about whether a “rookie” actor could handle such a challenging role. However, after chatting with Grayson “The Professor” Boucher for last week my doubts were relieved. It’s clear he has a passion for acting, he loved the character and he seemed really excited about the movie.

During our chat some of the topics we covered include:

* He talks with me about how he almost didn’t even try out for the AND1 Tour.
* What it was like being on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
* How playing in the AND1 and the Ball Up circuit compares to acting and being an entertainer.
* What motivated him to make the jump from being a streetballer to an actor.
* If it was a coincidence that both of his movies so far – Semi-Pro and Ball Don’t Lie – are basketball related.
* What it was like working with an impressive cast in Nick Cannon (“Drumline,” “Wild ‘N Out”), Rosanna Arquette, rapper Ludacris and 2009 Oscar nominee Melissa Leo.

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Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for my interview with the director of Ball Don’t Lie,  Brin Hill, early next week.