Kris Humphries is in control of the ball just outside the paint. Lebron James is guarding him, daring him to make a move. Humphries hesitates for a fleeting second, and James backs off to prepare for Humphries to pass or drive—sorely underestimating his shooting ability. Humphries takes the shot, the ball hits the rim once—and drops for two points.

Bad things can happen when you underestimate Kris Humphries, and tonight, Lebron James and the Miami Heat are learning that lesson the hard way. His third quarter jumper gives Humphries his 22nd point of the night, putting the Nets up over Lebron and the Heat by six points.

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With New Jersey set to play the NBA’s first-ever regular season games in London this coming Friday and Saturday against the Toronto Raptors, Humphries took time out of his busy schedule to chat about his experiences overseas with ESPNNewYork.com.

Here’s a recap of our conversation on Thursday morning. We’ll be posting these on a daily basis.

ESPNNY: Kris, good morning — or in your case good afternoon. On Wednesday you tweeted that you were really excited to see some of your former Toronto Raptors’ teammates. How nice was it to be able to see and reconnect with them?

Kris Humphries: It’s cool. I got to catch up with all the coaches and staff in the lobby on Wednesday. And then I saw some of my former teammates at an NBA Cares event we attended Thursday. It’s really nice to be able to hang out with a lot of the guys I used to play with.

ESPNNY: Obviously, you mentioned some of your former teammates. Who were you closest with on the Raptors?

Kris Humphries: I was real close with Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. But a lot of their team has turned over now [Kris played in Toronto from 2006-07 to ’08-09].

ESPNNY: Probably one of the oddest things we’ve noticed is that the Nets and Raptors are both staying in the same hotel. We know it might not be the same for you, per say, because you played with some of those guys. But how strange is it that both teams are staying in the same hotel?

Kris Humphries: Yeah. It’s kind of strange a little. In one sense your enemy is staying at the same hotel. But it’s kind of strange. It’s kind of like preparing to get at these guys and then saying “What’s up?” Before games, I try not to get too friend with the other team. I try to keep a tough mindset, since we’re going to be doing battle. You want to catch up and be friendly, but during warm-ups before the game you try and be all business.

ESPNNY: Why don’t we get into what you all did Wednesday. One of the things that kind of caught our attention was this Barclays event you had to attend. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about it?

Kris Humphries: It was an event that we held for the company that is our sponsor for the new arena in Brooklyn [Barclays, a British bank, paid $400 million for the naming rights to the Nets’ projected future home in 2012-13]. The event was just for people that are involved in that company thanking them for their support. We kind of just want to win them over with the presentation of what the new arena is going to look like and our plan going forward as far as the team’s additions [trading for superstar point guard Deron Williams to start] and how we’re going to add pieces going forward.

ESPNNY: Afterward, you mentioned that you and your teammates were supposed to go out to dinner together. Did that happen? And if so, where did you go?

Kris Humphries: Yes. We ended up going out to a Pakistani restaurant. It was just the players. Deron kind of decided after the event that we were gonna go to eat together. It was nice to be able to break bread, tell stories, joke around and just have a good time.

ESPNY: How often does the entire team go out to eat together?

Kris Humphries: We’ve been going out a lot together as far as team meals. It’s been good. We have a group of guys that enjoy hanging out together. In fact, this is probably the tightest team I’ve been on since my first year in Toronto when we had a really close group of guys. It’s very similar to that.

ESPNNY: We have to ask the question: Who picked up the check? We figure you must’ve played credit card roulette, right?

Kris Humphries: Of course. And it was Dan Gadzuric. The new guy. That’s how he gets welcomed to the team [laughing]. Credit card roulette, that’s how we always do it. It’s quite exciting. We do it with the last card being picked out of a hat. When they call your name, that’s when you can really feel the rush.

ESPNNY: Sounds like you guys enjoy gambling quite a bit. Do you play cards or anything like that to keep yourselves occupied when you’re on the road?

Kris Humphries: We play a few games here and there. But never for money. We don’t promote gambling. We just play a few friendly games for the record [laughter].

ESPNNY: You’ve been in London for a couple days now. What is your opinion of the people there?

Kris Humphries: I feel like everyone here is really nice. They’re very respectful. The city for the most part is really clean and nice to be in. Deron had mentioned that he thinks he could live here [the Nets would rather he live in Brooklyn]. Just the way the city is and the culture. It’s a nice place.

ESPNNY: Let’s try to clear there air here: How easy is it to understand the natives, given their thick accents?

Kris Humphries: It’s funny because it is English. This is the place where English originated from. It’s funny because sometimes when people get to talking fast with the accent, some of the words they use to describe things is a bit different. You find yourself not being able to understand what they’re saying. Of course, what makes it even more funny is my teammate Johan Petro. He has a thick French accent and when he was talking to one of the workers at the restaurant Wednesday night, I couldn’t understand anything they were saying [laughter].

ESPNY: We know you finally get to play a game tomorrow, but what do you plan on doing the rest of the day [it’s about 2 p.m. London time at this point]?

Kris Humphries: Well, we just got back to the hotel from practice now. Maybe I’ll go grab a little bite to eat. If I have the energy to go do something, I’d like to either catch up with the guys from Toronto or go somewhere with my teammates and see some sights. [Humphries was traveling on a bus with his teammates at the time of our conversation, and noticed that his teammates were playing “The World Series of Rock Paper Scissors” in the back of the bus]

ESPNNY: Before we let you go since we know you want to have a good time before you actually have to get down to busy on Friday, we’ve been getting a lot of questions from fans wanting to know about your block of Robin Lopez in Monday’s game. How did you do it? It was pretty surreal.

Kris Humphries: He had scored on me a few plays. It’s funny because after one of them I looked up in the stands and saw my dad. He never said anything to me, but he gave me this look like, you better redeem yourself. So when he was about to throw it down, I just timed him up. And I was able to put him on the ground — legally.

ESPNNY: What did Robin say to you afterward? He must’ve been pretty ticked off.

Kris Humphries: He’s just like his twin brother [my teammate, Brook Lopez]. It’s always interesting to get his reaction. He said, “You got me. You got me good. But I got you first.”

ESPNNY: Where does that block rank among the best rejections you’ve ever had in your career?

Kris Humphries: Honestly, I don’t know. At the end of the day, it’s hard to tell. Hopefully one day I’ll look back when my career’s over and really be able to appreciate it. But right now, I just try to take everything one day and one game at time.

ESPNNY: Thanks again for your time, Kris. Good luck on Friday against Toronto.

Kris Humphries: Thanks. Later.

Source: ESPNNewYork.com

With New Jersey set to play the NBA’s first-ever regular season games in London this coming Friday and Saturday against the Toronto Raptors, Humphries took time out of his busy schedule to chat about his experiences overseas with ESPNNewYork.com.

Here’s a recap of our conversation on Wednesday morning. We’ll be posting these on a daily basis.

ESPNNY: Kris, thanks again for taking the time out to speak with us. We know you guys landed in London Tuesday morning. How are you adjusting to the five-hour time change?

Kris Humphries: I think I’m making the adjustment. We got in around 2-3 p.m. London time (9-10 a.m. EST). And once we arrived at the hotel, I ended up falling asleep for 4-5 hours. I woke up, had dinner with a couple teammates and by that time it was time for bed again. But now I think I’m finally on their time schedule.

ESPNNY: Where did you go to dinner? And what teammates did you go with?

Kris Humphries: I went and grabbed a bite at at a local steakhouse with Stephen Graham,Johan Petro and Jordan Farmar. I don’t really know where I am around here, but it was down by the river. It was a good time and it was pretty good food. I really like how they don’t use a lot of seasoning in their food.

ESPNNY: You mentioned that you didn’t know where you were. Have you ever been to London before?

Kris Humphries: No, I haven’t. I’ve been out of the country before — we went as a team to Russia and China this summer. I’ve been on other trips to Italy and Spain. I’ve just never been to London before.

ESPNNY: Now that you’re finally there, what are your initial impressions of the country itself?

Kris Humphries: It’s been great so far. Everything has ran really smooth. We got in and just had our first practice. It’s a great arena. Hopefully we can get a lot of fan support and build our brand. It’s been a good trip just from the short time I’ve been here. It’s a very clean city with some nice historical areas.

ESPNNY: Considering that it’s your first time in London, what is the one thing you’d like to see or do while you’re there?

Kris Humphries: I’d love to see Buckingham Palace, but I don’t know if I’ll end up doing that. I think that would be cool. I like history a little bit and just seeing some sights. I was too tired yesterday to take the optional tour. But I hope to get there before we leave.

ESPNNY: We know you haven’t been there that long, but do you and your teammates expect to get a lot of downtime or are you going to be bombarded with events?

Kris Humphries: It’s a mixture. We get enough downtime. Today we had breakfast, a team photo, practice, a media session and now we’re back here at the hotel. Later on, we have a Barclay event that we’re going to this afternoon [when the Nets move to Brooklyn in 2012-13, their billion-dollar arena will be called the Barclays Center]. Then we’ll go out for a team dinner. We get a bit of time to relax. But it’s still the regular season.

ESPNNY: A lot has been made of this event and the NBA being able to showcase itself overseas. However, as a player, is it tough to deal with considering the change of schedule right in the middle of your season?

Kris Humphries: I think whether we want to or not, we deal with it. I think everything has ran really smooth thus far. It’s going to be an adjustment over here playing our first game. But once we return [on Sunday], we will have three days to get re-adjusted back. It’s a privilege to be part of the first regular season game here. It’s exciting.

ESPNNY: Alright, let’s get off your London experience for a bit and talk some hoops. You and Deron Williams played together for a bit in Utah, and it seems like in the short time since he’s been here, you two have been able to re-establish the chemistry you may have had. Is that the case?

Kris Humphries: Yeah. For sure. I had a chance to play with him before. I think we’ve both developed a lot since then. He’s an all-star. He’s been a force for the last four years. He’s come here and been able to distribute the ball. He’s had a crazy amount of assists.

ESPNNY: No one has had more assists than Deron [an NBA record 47 of them] in their first three games with a new team. How surprised are you that he’s been able to have this type of success so quickly, despite not being acclimated with the team’s system?

Kris Humphries: I’m not surprised at all. I think that’s just him being a really good point guard. He’s been talking to us and trying to put us in a position to be successful. Personally, he does a great job telling me where I need to be on the court [Humphries has shot 51.4 percent from the floor and averaged 13.7 points and 10.7 rebounds since Williams’ arrival]. We’ve been running the pick and roll really well together. I didn’t really play a whole lot when we were teammates in Utah, but I got to know him well.

ESPNNY: Deron has been banged up a bit and missed practice on Wednesday. Do you foresee that being a problem looking ahead to Friday [if he does play] considering he hasn’t been here that long?

Kris Humphries: I think everyone benefits from practice, but he’s playing with a few injuries [a bruised bone in his right hand and a strained right wrist]. We haven’t had a true practice with him yet. However, he’s the kind of player that knows how to play the game. Even if he were playing with four strangers he’d figure out a way for everyone to play together and be successful.

ESPNNY: Kris, once again, we’d like to thank you for taking the time to speak with us. We’ll speak with you again on Thursday morning.

Kris Humphries: Sounds good. Take care.

Source: ESPNNewYork.com

“We want Humphries back,” Johnson said Monday during his pre-game availability with the media prior to his team’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. “With what the Nets are all about and where we’re going, Humphries is our kind of player. We’ve told him that. I’ve told him ‘We’d love to have you a part of our program as we move forward.’”

Humphries, who will make $3.2 million in 2010-11 after picking up his player option prior to the start of the season, has become a revelation for the Nets. The 25-year-old began the year behind veteran Troy Murphy and rookie Derrick Favors on the depth chart, but an injury to Murphy forced Humphries into the starting lineup on Nov. 10, and he’s flourished ever since.

Although he’s since lost his starting spot with the Nets committed to developing Favors, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Humphries continues to give the Nets consistent energy and effort off the bench. In 44 games, the seven-year veteran is averaging 8.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in 25.5 minutes. He currently ranks 29th in the league with 13 double-doubles.

“That’s really great to hear,” said Humphries, who is currently dating reality television star Kim Kardashian. “We’ve talked a little bit off and on. I think that the conversation came up right before they started starting Favors [on Jan. 5] and stuff. It just kind of showed me that [Avery's] making some different moves, but I’m still part of the big picture, so that feels good. It would be nice [to stay]. I enjoy the people around here.”

Even though talks have been ongoing, Humphries said the team has not yet offered him a contract extension. He will most certainly be due a raise, possibly similar to the 5-year, $35 million contract the Nets gave free agent small forward Travis Outlaw during the offseason.

“Right now, it’s just play basketball,” said Humphries, who noted that the uncertainty of the collective bargaining agreement could have an impact as to if and when his deal gets done. “And when the time comes, that’s when you deal with that.”

Humphries said that he’d be comfortable continuing in his current reserve role, as long as the team continues to improve.

“It’s easier to play a role the more and more games you win,” Humphries said. “You look at guys that play certain roles on championship-caliber teams and it’s easier for them because you’re doing this and you’re winning games.”

Humphries said he’s developed a greater knowledge of the game during his time playing for Johnson.

“It’s funny,” Humphries said. “I think even though our record might not reflect it, I’ve learned a lot so far about basketball and different things offensively and defensively from Avery and our coaching staff. I think that I’ve gotten better here. It would be nice to continue to really win games and make a push for the playoffs as we move toward Brooklyn and all that.”

Prior to the start of the season, Humphries could have opted out of his contract and looked to sign elsewhere. At the time, Nets’ officials were somewhat hoping he would so they’d have enough cap space to sign two maximum-salary free agents. But Humphries didn’t, and the Nets are better off because of it.

“Obviously when you’re trying to make a decision like that, a lot of times it’s based off money, where you think the team’s headed, stuff like that,” Humphries said. “I just felt like it would be a good thing to be a part of here. It’s just kind of one of those things where the grass isn’t always greener so you have to go with your gut sometimes.”

Humphries said the reason he’s been able to become one of the NBA’s most-improved players is because he’s been given consistent playing time, something he never got playing behind Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas and Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani in Toronto.

“I may not be starting, but I’m playing minutes every night,” Humphries said. “A lot of things factor into that. The NBA is a tough place if you’re in one moment, out the next moment and you don’t know if you’re going to play in a game or not. Guys who don’t play every night, that’s one of the toughest things to do in the league.”

Source: ESPNNewYork.com

So after his team completed a dramatic comeback Monday night – already ensuring a higher win total than last season’s 12-70 disaster – Johnson took the opportunity to make a grand gesture.

“We’re trying to start our own history and, hopefully, we’ll be able to look back on this year as the year that catapulted Nets basketball back to prominence,” he said.

The Nets (13-32) still have a long way to go, but getting a game-winner from Brook Lopez in Monday night’s 103-101 win over the post-LeBron Cavaliers at the Rock is a nice way to start, even if only 10,197 were announced to watch the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. At one point, tickets at stubhub.com were listed at just 11 cents apiece. Lopez sank his baby-hook with 1.4 seconds remaining, capping a fourth-quarter comeback against the Cavs (8-36), whose losing streak reached 17 games.

Lopez’s game-winner was designed during a timeout and was “executed perfectly,” Johnson said, after Joey Graham had tied it with a 3-pointer with :7.1 left. The shot negated a lethargic first half from the Nets. “Man, I was praying, holding my breath. I really wanted this one for our guys,” said Johnson, who had designed a similar play that failed in the final seconds of Saturday night’s loss to the Mavericks. “Especially to execute something that we had been working on all morning, and we come to the game tonight and we actually needed it, and we went over it in a timeout and they executed it perfectly.”

Lopez finished with a game-high 28 points, while Anthony Morrow, in his third game back since injuring his hamstring, dropped 10 of his 16 in the fourth quarter. Johnson called Morrow the closer, “kind of like our Mariano Rivera.”

The first-year coach also bestowed pre-game praise on Kris Humphries, the team’s most improved player this season, who is playing on an expiring contract. “We want Humphries back,” Johnson said. “What the Nets are all about and where we’re going, Humphries is our kind of player. We’ve told him that. We would love to have you as a part of our program as we move forward.”

Humphries made Johnson look good by following with his 14th double of the season (11 points, 11 rebounds), carrying the Nets with his energy during stretches in the second half. In circles more familiar to TMZ, Humphries is best known as the new boyfriend of Kim Kardashian. But to the Nets, “Hump” is a player they want as part of their future in Brooklyn. “It’d be nice to continue to go on and try to really win games and make a push for the playoffs as we move towards Brooklyn,” he said.

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