University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Rayshaun Hammonds
February 08, 2019 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Rayshaun Hammonds was a big kid in eighth grade, about 6-foot-4, he said, but dunking didn't come easy or right away. Now 6-8 and the Georgia men's basketball team's leading scorer, times have changed.
The sophomore forward from Norcross, Ga., who averaged 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds a game as a freshman, starting 26 games, is averaging a team-high 12.6 points per game. He's also shooting a strong 49.2 percent from the field.
Hammonds recently sat down for a Quick Chat, discussing his basketball beginnings, eating to win, old-school music and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:Â
Frierson: What was it that drew you to basketball? Did you know right away that this was going to be the sport for you?
Hammonds: It was really just my mom putting a hoop in front of me and me just going along with it. My cousin pushed me when I was at a young age and I was looking at LeBron and Kobe, so that kind of pushed me to play more. All of my family members were athletes and I wanted to be a part of that.
I was like 5 or 6 when I starting playing, but I was already into it at 3 or 4. I kind of fell in love with it early.
Frierson: As a guy that's never come close to dunking, I'm always interested in hearing about first dunks. Do you remember your first dunk?
Hammonds: It was in eighth grade, playing AAU, and I was kind of surprised because I was already 6-4 or so, so when it happened I just looked at my teammates and we just laughed. I'd been trying the whole seventh grade and eighth grade, and when I finally did it it was a surprising moment.
It was a rim-grazer dunk so it wasn't anything too special, but it was a dunk. And I did it in front of a lot of people, so I was kind of happy.
Frierson: What was holding you back, because I'd think if you're 6-4 you ought to be able to get one down?
Hammonds: I was 6-3 or 6-4, I guess, but I wasn't jumping as high at that time. Once I did it I started trying to do it every time.
Frierson: What other sports did you play growing up and how good were you?
Hammonds: I played football and I was pretty good at it. I played cornerback, wide receiver and a little bit of running back and quarterback — I played both sides of the ball. When I got to high school, I stopped; I got to Norcross and I grew, so there was no point in playing because I didn't want to risk anything.
Frierson: Did you miss it, doing something you were clearly good at?
Hammonds: I missed it a little bit. When I'd watch it I'd miss it, but I knew basketball was the thing I loved. I missed those Friday nights and I missed taking out your anger on somebody else (laughs).
Frierson: If you could take one move from an NBA player, past or present, what move would you take?
Hammonds: Paul George is my favorite player, him and Jayson Tatum, and I'd just steal how they played: their dribbling moves, the signature moves they do and the way they play the game. I try to replicate that.
Frierson: Do you go on YouTube and watch highlights of guys?
Hammonds: I actually do. I'm really into watching highlights of LeBron and Kobe, but now the two players I watch are Jayson Tatum and Paul George. I keep up with them a lot, follow them on Instagram and see how they're living.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Hammonds: Probably chicken tenders and shrimp, numbers one and two, I could that all day. I try to cut back on that now, I try to eat really healthy, like greens and broccoli, a lot of vegetables. My grandmom cooked all that when I was younger so I grew up eating that.
Frierson: Now that you are a big-time college player, what have you had to give up in order to make sure your body is working at its best?
Hammonds: I don't drink sodas any more; I stopped drinking sodas ever since high school, my mom cut that off, so no sodas and I don't eat that much candy. The only thing that I was candy-wise, to give myself a treat sometimes, is Sour Patch Kids.
I don't eat that much ice cream, I don't eat that much junk food anymore, and I've really tried to cut back on all that, You don't want to be eating all that, it shows in your game. I just eat a lot of vegetables and chicken and stuff like that.
Frierson: If you could go anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go? And who would you take with you?
Hammonds: Let me see, I would take my mom to Jamaica or somewhere that she can have fun and just relax. To see the world, that would be a beautiful thing.
Frierson: Who's the most creative or talented guy on the team? I keep hearing that Tyree Crump can really sing.
Hammonds: Yeah, Tyree can really sing, Turtle (William Jackson II) is a comedian, Derek (Ogbeide) is very funny — everybody's got a different special thing about them. When we're all together, we're just having fun.
Frierson: How great is it to have a group of guys that you'd want to hang out with even if you weren't teammates?
Hammonds: It's a special thing because you're around your teammates every day and can have fun with them and create that bond with each other.
Frierson: Do you have any pregame routines or rituals that you do before every game?
Hammonds: What I do now is I kiss both of my wrists, just to thank the Lord. And when I see my mom in the crowd I salute her every time. That's a ritual I do with her, to salute her every time, just to let her know she's there with me.
Frierson: What's something old-school that you're into?
Hammonds: I watch a lot of old sitcoms, that's all really watch. I like a lot of old cars, like a Chevy SS, Impala and things like that. I also listen to a lot of old-school music: a lot of Tupac, old Jay-Z, anything that's old I'll listen to it. They say I have an old man's soul and I listen to a lot of R&B, Bobby (Brown) and Whitney (Houston) — I grew up on it with my mom playing it throughout the house with the grandmom and my dad and them.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
