Catching up with Texas A&M basketball great Josh Carter

During Thursday’s edition of TexAgs Radio, aggie basketball great Josh Carter joined the show to share some memories of his days playing for Buzz Williams, what he’s up to these days and much, much more.

Key notes from Josh Carter interview

• Life is good. I’m back in Dallas right now. I had surgery in Greece, and I’ve been home relaxing and doing some rehab. Life is good right now. I’ve never really been injured my whole life other than an ankle sprain where I’m out a week — never been something where I’m out for two or three months. I’m pretty blessed because I’m 35, and this is my first “real” injury.
   
• It was good to be in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago. That was my second time to see Khris Middleton play. Whenever I’m stateside, I always make a point to go see some of the guys. I saw them play Chicago, so I got to see Alex Caruso a little bit. That was actually the game Caruso got injured, so I didn’t get to see him after.
   
• I felt at home at that country concert. It was only my second concert ever in my life. It was a cool experience to go on stage, and that Kane Brown guy was pretty nice. I didn’t know who he was until I went to his concert.
   
• You bump into other Aggies overseas at least once a year. I played with Elston Turner one season, so I saw an Aggie every day in practice. We played Tonny Trocha-Morelos’ team in the preseason this year. It’s always nice to see some Aggies over there. It makes you feel like you’re at home a little bit and makes you remember the good times in Aggieland.
   
• I’ve played in eight different countries during my career. My favorite country to play in is probably Israel. Good food and good people. The way of life is pretty relaxed over there.
   
• My first year overseas, I had that American mentality that I didn’t belong and was going to the NBA. My mindset was I was only there for a little while. As the years went by, I got used to it. I never imagined it, but playing in Europe has been a blessing for me for sure.
   
• I had a few offers from the NBA a few years into my overseas career. The deals they were offering me weren’t very good, and at any point I could get cut by those NBA teams. I was making pretty good money overseas, so it didn’t make sense to take that risk.
   
• The Greeks love their basketball. The high-level games get pretty intense. There were three teams in the city I played in, and a couple of days ago, a fan got murdered for wearing the wrong gear on the wrong side of town. They take it a little more seriously than we do. I still feel safe over there, but the fans will throw stuff at you and spit at you. It’s like the Baylor game but for every game. The teams have pretty diehard fans. Overseas, you can’t make gestures to the fans. If you keep your head down and play, which is what I usually do, then you don’t get bothered.
   
• Growing up, Michael Jordan was who I was watching on TV all the time. That’s who got me started in the basketball world. I wear #23 because of MJ, not because of LeBron.
   
• I don’t know how I got 520 rebounds at Texas A&M. They must have just fallen into my hands. The stat that bothers me the most is the 299 3-pointers I made in my collegiate career. I could’ve made one more to get to 300, and that drives me crazy.
   
• I always enjoy it when someone that played in the NBA comes over. During the lockout year, a lot of guys came over. You go a little bit harder at those guys to show you could be playing there too. It gives you a little bit more.
   
• I talk to Antanas Kavaliauskas randomly all the time. I saw Joesph Jones and Coach Gillispie at the airport when I was heading to Greece a couple of years ago, and it was nice to catch up with them.
   
• In my first two years with Gillispie, what made it so special was the group of guys we had and how hard we worked. I’m not sure you can even work as hard as we did anymore. It was great to see that group of guys put in the work on the practice court and have it pay off in games.
   
• On my last trip to Reed Arena, Alex Caruso was probably a sophomore or junior. It has been a while.
   
• There were like 25 transfers, right? I’ve paid attention to that whole situation that Buzz Williams was taking over. He had it rolling pretty well until this recent streak, but that happens. It’s good to see he has it rolling in the right direction.
   
• My rehab is projected between three and five months, and it will probably be closer to five months. I’m evaluating and hoping to get my body right again. I’m done for this season, but I’m going to get my body back right and talk to my agent. I’m getting old, but my goal is to keep playing. I’d play until the wheels fall off.