Gafford Receives Formal Introduction to Mavs Fans

Former Arkansas Razorback center joins 97.1 "The Freak" to help Dallas get to know its newest star

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Feb 14, 2024 3:40 PM EST
Original:
Feb 14, 2024

In this story:

DALLAS – Former Arkansas center Daniel Gafford has been off to a hot start since joining Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with the Dallas Mavericks.

He posted 19 points and nine rebounds in his debut in a rivalry game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and former Razorbacks Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams. Then, he unloaded on his former team, the Washington Wizards, when the came to Dallas, posting 16 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks and a pair of steals.

With things happening so quickly with the trade for Gafford and PJ Washington going down on Feb. 8 and his insertion into the line-up immediately, Mavericks' fans didn't get a chance to meet him and get to know a little about him. While the large bloc of Arkansas fans in the DFW area are familiar with the El Dorado native, Tuesday afternoon offered the first chance for the rest of the metroplex to get to know him.

Gafford joined "The Downbeat," the afternoon drive show in 97.1 "The Freak," the local sports radio station that doubles as the home of the Mavericks. Here is how that extensive interview played out.

HOSTS:
Making His 97.1 The Freak debut, it is new Mavericks acquisition, the man from ElDorado, (obviously pronounced incorrectly) Arkansas, Daniel Gafford! Good morning Daniel. How you doing, man?

GAFFORD:
Morning, morning. I'm good. How are y'all doing?

HOSTS:
We're awesome man. We always wake up happy when the Mavs get a dirty little win. But speaking of waking up, we talked about you at 6 a.m. this morning. We're like, he's 6-10. We just pictured you in this bed diagonally. I have to ask what's the bed situation when you're a man of your size?

GAFFORD:
Well, when I'm at home it's a decent sized bed. More of a Cal king. You said I'm diagonal, I'm pretty much diagonal right now.

HOSTS:
At home, yeah. Dallas is your new home. So it is a custom bed at home?

GAFFORD:
Not necessarily. Just pretty much one of those regular beds that you can find in any mattress place, but it's more for sure just like a Cal king. And I would always look for either a Cal king or a king. Either one works.

HOSTS:
But you gotta go full diagonal, right man? In hotel rooms?

GAFFORD:
Yeah, in hotel rooms. Yeah, pretty much diagonal is the way to go for me.

HOSTS:
So, you just got to traded at the end of last week, and then here we are like five days later. There's no way you're settled yet. How does it work getting your bag sent over to where you're going? I'm sure you're staying in a hotel near the arena I would imagine, but what's your life the last few days?

GAFFORD:
I mean, it's just been you know, pretty much just chillin in the hotel. I brought a decent amount of stuff with me just to kind of hold me for the time being. We're gonna go house hunting probably the All-Star break and what-not, but really just taking my time to adjust. I've been back and forth to Dallas and stuff as a kid, just like AAU, traveling with family, so on and so forth.

HOSTS:
Dude, I learned something about you last night I thought was something I kind of connected with. Because [Mark] Followill, the guy that does play by play for Mavs TV here locally, he mentioned that you you went to high school in Arkansas, and you played football, but you also were in marching band. Now, my question is, were you in one of those schools that was so small that you were one of the dudes that had to go out at halftime in your football uniform and play clarinet?

GAFFORD:
No. No. So, I only played football for one year and I kind of call it quits after that year. I wasn't really you know, I had my expectations for myself way higher than what happened. Honestly, I couldn't catch a cold if it was given to me.

HOSTS:
So what about your musical career? Is it something you still dabble in at all? Are you kind of put the clarinet down and said you know what, I'm done with this. I'm full on dedicating to hoops?

GAFFORD:
I've tried when it comes to the clarinet and stuff. My wife got me a clarinet for Christmas last year. She is really pushing me to just really get back into it. Which, I mean I want to, its just I really just have to find the motivation and find the time and all that good stuff. But, I want to do want to get back into it, so once I do, it both definitely will be posted, it will be streamed, all that good stuff. She wants to put me on a high pedestal. She wants to show me off to the world so I gotta do it for her.

HOSTS:
She wants to be married to a musician, Daniel. NBA star just isn't enough, right? This is Daniel Gafford chillin with us. We are the home of the Mavericks, this radio station you're on right now, and honestly, welcome to DFW. We couldn't be happier, and that obviously is impacted by two wins and massive performances right out of the gate for you. Nineteen and nine in game one and then 17 rebs yesterday dude. I kind of know the answer, but how's things going so far with you and your new squad?

GAFFORD:
Everything's going great. I feel, like I have told just any other media, when I came here, just coming in, I felt like I was already a part of the mold. Just came in and guys are telling me, you know, just be in the right spot at the right time, which, in all honesty with my career, I've played with guys that, be in the right spot at the right time, you get rewarded or you're in a position to get rebounds at the end of the day. And then I'll just come play defense. That's pretty much my main job, to come in play defense, help rebound, help our energy, and, you know, catch lob passes.

HOSTS:
Daniel, obviously you come in here and you fill a pretty desperate need that this team has had for a long time, and production just in two games has been out of sight. You know, being fans ourselves and watching the games, we're just like, OK, this makes sense. How is it like, I know you only been two games and maybe five or six days with the team. How is the vibe in the locker room, and the dudes, kind of getting to know them a little bit, and then I'm sure Luka being, you know, the star of the team right now, his presence is is what it is, but how do you feel like you're kind of gelling with the dudes as you as you come into a semi-foreign situation?

GAFFORD:
I mean, it's just like, you know, perfect for me at the end of the day. It was like, you know, me being back in college [at Arkansas] in all honesty. I just came in. It took a minute to like, you know, fully adjusting to talk to the guys and stuff for me. I'm pretty, pretty much of a quiet guy myself. But I really try to come out of my shell a little bit more often, and just kind of, you know, building those bonds and building those relationships with the team. It just it feels like that, you know, I've already been here, like I said. Most of the guys that I've talked to on the team and stuff, it's just we didn't know each other.

HOSTS:
So, you kinda feel like the vibe of the of the locker room kind of fits your personality type, you know, kind of more subdued and chill and having a good time, but nothing too crazy or demonstrative?

GAFFORD:
Nah Yeah, most definitely. I just come in, you know, guys laughing. They included me into a couple of conversations the first day No, I just kind of follow suit.

HOSTS:
This is one of your newest Mavericks, you're on the home of the Mavs, Daniel Gafford. Now you said a minute ago that you couldn't catch a cold, but Saturday, one of your first minutes, first of all awesome when you get entered into the game six minutes into the game on Saturday afternoon and the crowd gives you a big ovation. That had been really cool. Then Luka kind of threw a Hail Mary to you, you went up and Randy Mossed that thing and then dunked it home and that was pretty cool right off the bat.

GAFFORD:
Yeah, most def. You know, just playing with a guy like that, like I said, they told me to be in the right spot at the right time. I would say get somewhat in his line line of vision and he'll find you at the end of the day. If he doesn't, it's going to have to be a late pass, shoot it and I can be in a position to get the rebound. He just attracts so much attention, him and Kyrie and it's good for all the other guys on the floor. You just kind of have to be more right spot than we worked on, we practiced on because the way we game plan it's literally just like, okay, Luka's gonna have maybe two or three guys come and try to trap him. Somebody's going to be open. Same with Kyrie.

HOSTS:
Playing in the NBA, you're obviously playing, across the league, there's elite point guards. Is it even more elevated playing on a team with Luka and Kyrie where your head has to be maybe more heightened on a swivel to get that unexpected pass or have that assist delivered in places that maybe you weren't accustomed to before?

GAFFORD:
Oh yeah, for sure. Be ready for anything. Honestly, expecting the unexpected because you know, when it comes to Luka, you never know when you're gonna get it, but he's gonna get it to you. And with Kyrie, he's gonna get down hill and maybe late pass because of bigs trying to come over try to block a shot, or maybe a pass over the top because they're trying to blitz him. So, it's just the best of both worlds in all honesty, and I just have to be in a position where I can kind of progress and make plays out of the pocket.

HOSTS:
I love it so far. It's so fun. I mean, it feels to us, we've been watching every game this season, that just this injection of life and everything we needed, comes in the form of you and PJ, but I want to talk one more thing last night. So 17 boards kind of steal the show, but five blocks. Should have been 18 if Luka hadn't touched it before it landed in his hands. Gotta get him to stop stealing his dozen rebounds he gets every night, but five blocks as well. So what's a better feeling like the nastiest scream dunk you can imagine or swatting someone into the end of the first row?

GAFFORD:
I would say is a mixture of both because there are plays sometimes where I get a block that I can go down and get a dunk too. But really, just in all honesty, I love the energy on the defensive end because that's what gets me going offensively. You know, just kind of getting my blood boiling on the other end and running the floor and going down and doing the right thing on opposite end too.

HOSTS:
This Daniel Gafford, one of the newest Dallas Mavericks joining us. So you know when when we make trades like this for all of our sports teams in town, one thing we do when we're on the radio and get to talk about you guys lives we go dig in and see what we can find out about you, get to know you. Right? And I read something about you and dogs. Do you own a bunch of dogs?

GAFFORD:
Yeah, so I have four in my position now and I have one back in Arkansas.

HOSTS:
Hell, yes. So four in your possession like today? Like as you speak? You like were able to bring then when you got traded?

GAFFORD:
Not necessarily today. Really just in my household, you know, back in DC and stuff. So, I have a Pitt, two Frenchies and a Corgie back home.

HOSTS:
What are their names?

GAFFORD:
My Pitt is named Milo. Frenchies are Yoshi and Snow. Then my Corgie, her name is Peach.

HOSTS:
So, you got one back in Arkansas?

GAFFORD:
Yeah, his name is Melo. He's a husky-shepherd mix.

HOSTS:
Dang, if I had room and money I would have so many dogs dude. Good for you. Do they all sleep with you in your California king?

GAFFORD:
Naw! We keep them in their own little area in our household so they can kind of be separate and stuff. My wife tells me all the time whenever I go on road trips that she just brings one of them up to sleep with her because she feels lonely.

HOSTS:
Let me ask one more thing Daniel Gafford. I thought this was what Kevin was about to ask, but how do you find out you're getting traded? I mean, you know your name is least being thrown around. But I mean, it's got to be weird to be suited up for one team and then someone tells you hey, your whole life is getting flipped upside down. How do you find that information out?

GAFFORD:
I was in the facility the same day. Will Dawkins, he had called call me like right when I got to the facility. We were getting ready for Boston. He was telling me he was like, okay, we're gonna try to see, I think there's gonna be a deal with you in Dallas coming up, so, if not, I'll call and let you know, and if so, I'll call you and let you know. He called me again, like maybe 10-15 minutes later, told me that I was in Dallas, so that's how I kind of found out. After that, I went into the facility to say my goodbyes, grabbed a couple of pair of shoes and, you know, headed up here.

HOSTS:
Business as usual, man. Well, we are we are proud to have you here, and so far so good. You know how like back in the day a little kid would go up to a star athlete and say, I want you to hit a home run for me. We have a request to welcome you on our radio show. I see you shot one career three-pointer in your entire career and we'd like you to hoist one up in the game against the Spurs and then we'll know it's like kind of for us, but if it goes in, it's also for the team. Just for no reason out of nowhere, just launch a three.

GAFFORD:
I got you. OK.

HOSTS:
I went through your whole game log in. There's one over one of your career and I'm like, my guess is end of the half and you just chuck one that technically counts as a three. But do you remember how and why you launched that one?

GAFFORD:
I can't remember which one. It was when we played Chicago and DC. That's the one. I think that was the one. Yeah, it was kind of like at the end of the shot clock, whatever, the end of the quarter

HOSTS:
Bro, you gotta to get your percentage up to 50 for your career man so you gotta launch one tomorrow. Daniel, thanks for the time this morning. We need your heads probably spinning after the last five days and for you to take 10 minutes to come hang out. A lot. We really appreciate it man.

GAFFORD:
Oh, of course.