M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Interview With a Mad Dog
by Kelly L. Martinez

In a recent NBA Ventures article, Shaquille O'Neal, the Los Angeles Lakers' all-star, said of teammate Mark Madsen: "He is very intelligent, nice, and appreciative off the court. But when he gets on the court, he is a mad dog that hasn't had his rabies shots, and doesn't want his rabies shots. He is foaming out of the mouth and will bite you if you get in his path."

Given that warning, I was relieved that I didn't meet Brother Madsen on the court, but instead caught up with him in Milwaukee as the Lakers were winding down a recent road trip.

My first question caught him off guard, but he took the charge, recovered nicely, and then went on to share some very interesting thoughts. So without further ado, I present Brother Mark Madsen unplugged:

Q. Are you romantically involved with anyone? Are wedding bells in the near future?

A. (laughs) I'm currently single. And, uh....(laughs) you know...(clears throat) I'm sure wedding bells are sometime down the road.

Q. Nobody serious, huh?

A. (laughs)...Well, I, uh...(laughs)...um...you're going to edit this all up, right?

Q. Oh yeah! I'll brush it up. (*wink, wink*)

A. Oh, good. Well, I definitely date. I've dated some wonderful people and I have some wonderful friends. But as far as having a serious relationship, I'm not in one right now. Part of the reason for that is because life during the season is so hectic. We play so many games and are out of town sometimes for four or five days at a time. So, during the season, it's just very, very busy.

Q. What exactly do you call that dance step you did at last year's big NBA Championship parade in L.A.?

A. (laughs) When I was in high school, I'd go to school and Church dances and I'd get out there and start dancing. All my friends would start laughing and smiling, so I thought I was a really good dancer. That dance is just kind of my own dance step and I've been doing it all my life. I don't have a name for it, but it's kind of a cross between swing dancing and the waltz.

Q. How and when did you get the nickname 'Mad Dog'?

A. I got it in the fifth grade. My teacher had given nicknames to everyone in the class and I hadn't gotten one yet. So, one day he said, 'Hey, Mark, I've got a nickname for you. It's going to be Mad Dog Madsen.' So it just kind of stuck with me.

Q. You had off-season surgery on your hand last summer during the off-season. How's it feeling now?

A. The hand is good. The strength is back, the flexibility is almost 100%. It feels great.

Q. How exactly did you hurt it?

A. I hurt it going for a rebound. It got pinned in a really awkward way, and then somebody smashed into it. I felt it pop a couple of times. Turned out I had torn a couple of ligaments. It was very painful and sometimes it was unstable. Luckily, it was my left hand, so I was able to make do and finish out the season.

Q. Where'd you grow up and play high school ball?

A. I grew up in northern California in a town called Danville. I played in high school at San Ramon Valley High School. I played one year of varsity volleyball, one year of freshman football and three years of varsity basketball.

Q. Did you get a scholarship right out of high school?

A. I was recruited a lot in high school. Before they all started recruiting me, I told them they were welcomed to recruit me, but that I was definitely going on a mission. They decided they wanted to recruit me anyway. My top four choices were UCLA, Stanford, BYU and the University of Utah. I narrowed my choices to UCLA and Stanford. Both schools offered me a scholarship, but I decided on Stanford.

Q. When did you make up your mind to serve a mission?

A. When I was 13 or 14 years old, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I realized then that I believed in the Church and that I truly believed in the Book of Mormon. It was then that I wrote down on a goal sheet, 'serve a mission'. From that point forward, I always knew I was going.

Q. Did you get in a year of college basketball before your mission?

A. No. I went out on my mission right away and came back for four years of continuity.

Q. Where and when did you serve your mission?

A. I served in Spain from 1994-96.

Q. Have you been back to Spain since you've been home from your mission?

A. I've been back to Spain, but not to the area where I served. When I went back to Spain, I played in the World University Games on the team from the U.S. I served as an interpreter for the team. It was a lot of fun.

Q. What did you get your degree from Stanford in?

A. I graduated with a degree in economics.

Q. What would you be doing if you weren't playing in the NBA?

A. I'd probably be running a company of my own somewhere.

Q. Isn't it true that a lot of NBA players have businesses on the side even while they're playing in the NBA?

A. Yes, they do. I don't though, because I spend most of my time trying to get better. There's just no time for it right now.

Q. So we shouldn't hold our breath for a rap album?

A. (laughs) Nope. No rap album for now.

Q. How about a dance video?

A. (laughs) That might be an idea!

Q. Was it difficult making the adjustment from college to pro basketball?

A. Well, there are actually two transitions that are really big-from high school to college, and from college to the NBA. For me, the jump from high school to college was not a huge jump. I had played against a lot of the guys in the all-star camps, so I was already kind of used to them. But the jump from college to the NBA was huge. I'm definitely still going through a lot of that now. I learned a lot last season, but I'm still trying to be like a sponge and learn from the older guys.

Q. Who were your athletic and spiritual role models?

A. One of the biggest role models for me, from the athletics world, was [UCLA coaching legend] John Wooden. I've read most of his books and I really liked his message. I liked how he taught his players that winning is important, but being a good person away from basketball is much, much more important.

My spiritual role models were definitely my parents. They were really great examples for doing the right thing and being really good people. They are both such generous, unselfish people. I am so grateful for having them as my parents. I talk to both of them often. We've got a great relationship.

Q. How many siblings do you have?

A. Nine. The oldest is 31 and the youngest is 11Öso that makes ten of us. I'm the fifth child.

Q. You attend a singles ward in the Los Angeles area. Do you have a calling in your ward?

A. Yes. I'm a home teaching supervisor.

Q. I think we can guess which your favorite NBA team is now, but did you have a favorite team when you were a kid back in the 80s?

A. I loved the [Golden State] Warriors. It wasn't because they were that great of a team; I just loved the way they played the game. They really played hard. They had a pretty big rivalry going with the Lakers back then.

Q. What kind of reception do you get from the fans in Utah?

A. I've always had a very warm welcome by the fans in Utah.

Q. Your playing style has been compared to that of [former Laker player and current assistant coach] Kurt Rambis. Do you agree with the comparison? Watch what you say, I've heard his name mentioned as [current head coach] Phil Jackson's successor.

A. (laughs) It's a privilege to be compared to Kurt Rambis. He was a great player. Having him as an assistant coach now is tremendous. He helps me out because he can relate to the defense I need to play against other teams' big players. He can relate to the plays that I try to make because he made them when he was a player.

Q. Speaking of Phil Jackson, it's been almost five years since he made his off-handed comment about Mormons being a 'Öa religious cult or sect or whatever'. Does he still think that way?

A. No, I don't think he does. He and I talked about that. I asked him what he meant by that comment. He told me he was taken out of context a little bit. He actually knows some members of the Church. When you're speaking in front of a bunch of cameras and the stakes are high, things can be misinterpreted and things can be misspoken. I think he's got a lot of respect for the values of the Church and its members.

Q. Do you have a favorite hymn?

A. I have a lot of favorite hymns. The ones that come to mind are Be Still My Soul and Come, Come Ye Saints. I like a lot of Christmas hymns too. One time on my mission, we just stood out on the street and sang Christmas hymns. Some people would stop and listen; some people would walk by and listen. It was just a really great experience. One I'll always remember.

Q. Do you have a favorite scripture?

A. I love the scriptures! I have a lot of favorite ones. A lot of favorite chapters in the scriptures come to mind. I love the actual book of Mormon in the Book of Mormon. I like how, in that book, it talks a lot about faith and how God is a God of miracles. I like Ether, chapter 12, where it goes through a whole list of things that have happened in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon that were done by faith. It gives a good model of faith and how to exercise it. I also love Alma, chapter 17, where we begin to learn about Ammon, one of the greatest missionaries ever, and his mission to the Lamanites.

Q. Have you found that the scriptures help you regarding your career?

A. Definitely. In the Doctrine and Covenants we're taught that as long as we are made humble, we're made strong (see D&C 1:28). As much as that scripture applies to life, I've found that it applies to basketball too. When you play in the NBA, everyone tells you what a great player you are; they tell you what a good person you are. Sometimes, you can start believing it. But your performance on the court has nothing to do with the person that you are. It's important not to get caught up in the accolades and attention. We have a responsibility to be good people. I think if we go about our lives in a humble manner, the Lord will be on our side.

Q. Is it difficult to live the gospel in the NBA?

A. I think living the gospel, keeping the commandments and being a good person is difficult in all walks of life. There are definitely challenges in the NBA. I think that maybe the challenges are a bit different in each career, but the goals are the same. We're all expected to stay in tune with virtuous principles, to study the scriptures and try to stay away from the negative influences.

Q. Are there a lot of negative influences in the NBA?

A. The NBA has a bad rep, I think. Since I've been in the NBA, I've met a lot of tremendously great people that do tremendously great things. I will say that the NBA has its share of negative influences, just like anywhere else or in any other profession. I think we just need to make a decision that we're not going to seek those things out.

Q. Have you had any missionary experiences at Stanford or in the NBA?

A. Most of my teammates, both at Stanford and with the Lakers, are curious about the Church and what we believe. As a basketball player, I've had a lot of conversations about the Church. I love those conversations. At Stanford, there were two of my teammates that came to church with me and they really had a good time.

In the NBA, none of my teammates have come to church, but I've been able to share a lot with them on road trips. When I first joined the Lakers, some of my teammates were misinformed about the Church. They had a lot of questions about things, and I was able to share a lot with them. With the Winter Games having been held in Salt Lake, there were a lot of articles written on the Church. Some of my teammates would read these articles and come to me with questions. We'd talk about it in the locker room. It's been a lot of fun being able to share with them.

Q. What are your feelings about Sabbath day observance and playing in the NBA?

A. Growing up, I never practiced or played on Sunday. When I was 12 or 13 years old, the soccer team I was on had a game on Sunday and my parents let me decide [whether to play or not]. I decided to play. I felt horrible afterwards. So I decided to never play or practice on Sunday again.

When I was being recruited by different colleges, I made it clear that I would never play or practice on Sunday and that I was definitely going on a mission. Of course, BYU was the only school that didn't practice or play on Sunday, but Coach [Mike] Montgomery at Stanford said, 'Mark, if that's the decision you make, I'll honor it.' He was still willing to give me a scholarship.

When I got back from my mission, I was concerned because I knew that Stanford played some games and practiced on Sunday. At that time, I felt strange being on the team, accepting a full scholarship and then not playing in those games. Stanford pays $30,000 a year for players to be on scholarship. My first thought was that maybe I should transfer to BYU. It was the only school that didn't play or practice on Sunday. I thought about that a lot after I got home from my mission, but I didn't feel good about transferring there. I felt strongly about the academics and basketball program at Stanford.

My first year at Stanford, Rich Jackson was on the roster. He was LDS and a returned missionary and had spoken to Coach Montgomery a lot about playing on Sunday. In fact, we both spoke to him about it and asked him if he would limit Sunday basketball activities and eventually eliminate Sunday games and practices. He said that he couldn't eliminate them completely, but that he would make an effort to reduce them. He did make that effort and I made the decision that, when those occasional Sunday games came up, I would play. But I also made the decision to make sure that I attended my church meetings.

In the pros, I had a decision to make. Do I want to play pro basketball or not? This is, basically, an occupational decision that I've made. It's definitely not an ideal situation because we do have some Sunday games. I don't have a choice about that; I have to play in those games because that's my job. When we do have Sunday games, I make every effort to make it to as many church meetings as I can. [Playing on Sunday] is definitely something I don't recommend, but it's the profession I've chosen.

Q. Have you ever beaten Shaq [O'Neal] in one-on-one?

A. (laughs) I've tried a million times, but every time I try, he beats me.

Q. How about Kobe [Bryant]?

A. I'm even further away from beating Kobe one-on-one.

Q. Who can you beat one-on-one from the Lakers?

A. Not too many. But I play 'horse' a lot with Robert Horry. I beat him sometimes and he beats me sometimes.

Q. What types of books, besides the scriptures, do you like to read?

A. I just finished a book titled Anna Karenina by Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. I don't know what's next. I just went to the book store and bought some books. I've got to choose one. I try to read a lot of the classics.

Q. What advice would you offer to young LDS athletes?

A. My advice would be to try to play the game with the best sportsmanship that you can. You've got to realize that as fun as the sport is, living the gospel, trying to keep the commandments and going on a mission are more important than any game that you'll ever play.

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