In case you missed it, Concord native and NBA player Matt Bonner decided to call it a career after 12 years in the pros that included two championships and one tour of Concord with the Larry O’Brien trophy that the Insider just so happened to tag along for.
And Bonner, who is also quite famous for his blog, The Sandwich Hunter: The Quest for the Hoagie Grail, decided to announce his retirement in the coolest way possible – with a 2 minute and 30 second video that is a must-see. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the link.
So of course, we had to ask Bonner some questions about the video, his playing career and what he’s up to now.
What made you want to make a retirement video instead of having a press conference or just releasing a statement? I needed to announce my retirement. I enjoy making creative, funny videos. Also, and more importantly, I wanted to honor and thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career. So it just made sense to put it all together.
Where did you get the idea for the video? Honestly, I just thought of it.
How long did it take to shoot? The press conference scene took about 45 minutes to shoot. That was mainly because Don Brandin and Backwoods Bob kept forgetting their lines . . . Just joking! They were great. The gym scene took five minutes and the hiking scenes took a minute each. When I direct a video, I like to have everything planned out ahead of time so we can get the shots we need and move on.
Did you really travel to all those different places for it or was that just some crafty video editing? Yes we actually went to all of those locations. They were all up in the White Mountains. The one shot where I was sitting on a bench was at one of the higher elevation lookouts on the Kancamagus Highway. There was about a foot of snow on the ground and it was under 20 degrees out not counting the wind, which was blowing pretty hard. My two friends who came up from Austin to help me shoot the video had never been to New Hampshire before so they were freezing, which was pretty hilarious! I hope people from all over the world watch the video and see how beautiful our state is.
What kind of sandwich were you eating during the taping? Where was it from? It was a turkey sandwich from Chase Street Deli in Plymouth. Funny side note: when I finished shooting my scene, Don Brandin took the sandwich from me and finished it.
Now tell us, did you actually end up dunking the ball at the end of the video? Did I dunk it? Did I get stuffed by the rim? Did I clank it off the back of the rim? Did I shatter the glass? That is the symbolic mystery. So unfortunately, I can’t tell you.
What kind of reaction did you get from fellow players, coaches, fans, family and friends about the video? I could not believe the immense positive response I got. It was really touching. I get choked up when I think about all the love.
When did you know it was time to step away? Just like with how I came up with the idea for the video, I have no definitive explanation for this one. I guess it just felt right. Somehow I knew this was it. It was time. I was ready.
What will you remember most about your basketball career? I could write a book on what I’ll remember about my career.
You recently joined Twitter, why now? I had to open a Twitter for my new job with the Spurs. Apparently, it’s become somewhat of an industry necessity for broadcasters. But so far, I’ve enjoyed being on. It’s been fun interacting with friends and fans.
Speaking of your new job doing pre- and post-game analysis for the Spurs, did you always want to pursue a job in the media after your playing days were over? Any chance you want to be a guest columnist for the Insider? I’ve been a basketball player for basically my whole life. Now I’m not. I retired. However, I’m only 36 years old. I’m too young to do nothing for the rest of my life. What do I do? So many different things interest me, so I don’t really know. But I think that’s okay. I think the important thing is to pick something and just start. Give it the same passion and work ethic I gave basketball. So I picked being on TV to be a broadcaster and analyst. I also have a ton of creative video ideas I want to produce. I’m excited for this next phase of my professional life, so we’ll see how it goes. It’s tough though, because I love New Hampshire so much. Maybe we can talk the NBA into relocating the Spurs to Concord? These are the tough decisions I’m having to figure out.
Do you plan on spending more time in Concord? Definitely. I always want to spend time in Concord and all of New Hampshire. My wife loves it too. In fact, I got to spend fall and part of winter in New Hampshire for the first time since I graduated from Concord High School in 1999 (for the last 17 years, I only came home for summers because that is the off-season for basketball). Even better, I got to share it with my wife and kids. I got to take them to do all the awesome fall and winter activities I remember doing when I was growing up. I love representing New Hampshire and am incredibly proud of my home state.
And when can we expect to see you dominating the men’s over 35 league? As soon as a doctor invents artificial knee cartilage it’s on!
