Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
I've felt more comfortable talking to my teammates about social injustice. I can have those tough conversations with them because at Creighton I got to connect with a lot of people from different backgrounds, from different countries, with different skin color than me.
The games themselves are the No. 1 priority, of course. But when you’re an NBA star living in “the bubble” of Disney World, there are any number of secondary concerns.
What’s the best place to eat? What’s the best use of my spare time? Where do I find the other Bluejays?
In his first five weeks in the bubble, the Indiana Pacers' Doug McDermott, BSBA'14, has gradually found answers (and the other Bluejays). Last week, he met up for dinner with his fellow Creighton alumni — Kyle Korver, BA'03, and Anthony Tolliver, BSBA'07.
McDermott says he’s found a good rhythm in the isolation zone the NBA established in Orlando to continue the season safely.
He's done a little fishing, a little ping pong, enjoyed a lot of good food. We spoke with him about what’s it like living in Disney World, playing without fans in the arena and how his Creighton education prepared him for the difficult conversations that need to be had right now.
I saw that you, Anthony and Kyle have been hanging out in the bubble.
Yeah, we had dinner the other night over at Kyle's hotel. It was good to see those guys.
Are you guys all pretty close?
Yeah, we know each other really well. I was good friends with Kyle's brothers. And I've relied on Kyle and Anthony for advice. They've been there for me. They're kind of my vets, and I've leaned on them. They always take good care of me. It's great to have a couple of other guys here who are from Creighton.
What's it like to live in the bubble?
The NBA's done an unbelievable job. I didn't really know what to expect at first. But it kind of feels like a giant AAU tournament. They’ve got us in really nice hotels. The food's been really good. It's first-class. It's cool for me because I've played on a few teams here and know a lot of guys who are in the bubble. I've been able to connect with everyone. That's been the coolest part for me.
When you're not practicing, working out or playing the games themselves, what are you doing with your time?
I've been playing a lot of golf. In our hotel, we have a ping pong table in our lobby, so we've been doing ping pong tournaments. And there's fishing. I'm not a huge fisherman, but a couple of my teammates have dragged me out, and I've really enjoyed it. I’ve also been going to dinner with friends. We've found our go-to restaurants in the bubble, and we already have a routine.
What’s the best place you've eaten?
There's this place called Narcoossee's next to my hotel. It's this great seafood restaurant. The chef there has been so nice and really catered to us. We go in there and order a la carte. She’s been able been able to meet our culinary needs. She asked what we like eating pregame, and she cooks it up for us to put in the fridge for the next day. That's eliminated a lot of stress because we were worried about food at first.
What are the games themselves like?
It's really strange. It's different. From the TV perspective, it looks really cool, and you hear the background noise. But when you walk in there and don't see any fans, it's weird. You're so used to playing in front of crowds. It’s a change for sure, and it takes some time to adjust.
But once you can forget that and create your own energy as a group, you can do great things. I think we've played really well as a team. It's different, but at the same time we're extremely happy to be back playing.
I have so much respect for the job the NBA has done here. They have everything you need. They have a great testing system to keep us healthy. Kudos to them. It’s been a challenge for some other leagues, and I think ours has been a great example to follow.
What do you miss most about life outside the bubble? Or even life before the pandemic?
Being around family. Just to take my dog on a walk. Being able to go to my favorite food spots. I think you're seeing a theme here. I like my food a lot.
But the most important thing in my life right now is basketball. It's my job. I was missing it like crazy. It's great to be back. I've been here for more than four weeks, and we're hoping to stay here for a while.
How has your Creighton education, your experience, being a part of this community, how has it helped you deal with difficult times?
Creighton has taught me so many things. I go back to the sense of community and unity you have at a place like Creighton. You're in class sizes where you can really connect with so many different people. At bigger universities, with bigger classes, it can be more difficult to have those direct relationships.
I think that's really helped me in the real world and during these times especially. I've felt more comfortable talking to my teammates about social injustice. I can have those tough conversations with them because at Creighton I got to connect with a lot of people from different backgrounds, from different countries, with different skin color than me. That’s really prepared me for times like these.
I've encouraged my teammates to do the same, to not be afraid to speak out, to not be afraid to have those tough conversations. From my time at Creighton, that’s the main thing I’ve taken with me.
