Sorry, Arizona fans, Kaminsky isn’t sorry he took down the Wildcats
Oct 3, 2019, 5:43 PM
Wisconsin 's Frank Kaminsky reacts during the first half in a regional final NCAA college basketball tournament game against Arizona, Saturday, March 29, 2014, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
University of Arizona fans: Frank Kaminsky hears your objections with the Phoenix Suns signing him to a two-year contract.
He just doesn’t care.
”I’m a competitor, I wanted to win the games,” he said Thursday on 98.7 Arizona Sports Station’s Burns & Gambo. “I don’t think I should have to ever apologize for winning a basketball game and I’m never going to.”
Granted, it’s understandable for Arizona fans to hold a grudge. The Wildcats were the No. 1 seed in 2014 and the No. 2 in 2015 with legitimate title aspirations both years — until they ran into Kaminsky’s Wisconsin team in the Elite Eight both times.
As a junior, Kaminsky led the way in a Badgers overtime victory over the top-seeded Wildcats, scoring six of his 28 points in the overtime period to come away with the 64-63 win. He had 11 rebounds and went 11-for-20 from the field, including making three of five 3-pointers.
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The two teams met up in the Elite Eight again in Kaminsky’s senior year, and he put on another show, scoring the first five points of the game, putting up 13 in the first half and finishing with a game-high 29.
After the game, he stuck another dagger into the already-conquered Wildcats: “I don’t really care who is guarding me at this point.”
Four years later, now a member of the NBA team in Arizona, he had much of the same attitude about those times he eliminated the Wildcats.
“I’m sorry if your feelings were hurt, but I’m really happy about it,” he said.
If there can be any silver lining to fans who support the Wildcats and Suns, maybe it’s that attitude toward winning. Phoenix desperately needs to instill a winning mentality into its organization after going 87-241 over the last four years and are likely to miss out on the playoffs for the 10th season in a row.
Kaminsky remembers what it was like to have success at Wisconsin. It’s been the best time of his basketball career.
“It was definitely the most fun, without question. Just the fun we were having, we were in college, didn’t really care about anything other than winning basketball games,” Kaminsky said. Went out there and had fun, we had fun off the court, it was great.”
