Mehmet Oz was still in his forties the first (and only other) time he's suited up to play in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, in Dallas in 2010, opposite former pros like Chris Mullin and Robert Horry. But although that was nearly a decade ago, the man better known as Dr. Oz can remember how many points he scored that night like it was yesterday:
"Zero," he recalls, laughing.
"These guys who played in the past, they dominate the middle. ... You don't appreciate that when you're watching a game on TV. You say, 'Oh, I can make that shot.' Yeah, I can make it over you, or you on me; but if you take that shot against a (former) pro, they're going to slap it out of the air. It's a much quicker, faster game even at the amateur level we're playing at."
On Friday, Feb. 15, at Charlotte's Bojangles' Coliseum, Oz _ whose greatest athletic claims to fame are that he played football and water polo at Harvard University in the late '70s and early '80s _ will get a second opportunity to try to put some points on the board in the 2019 edition of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
At 58, he'll be the oldest person on the court, by far. (In fact, according to one sports book, Oz is the least likely member of the 24-player roster to be named the game's MVP.)
We spoke with the host of "The Dr. Oz Show" about why he's so eager to mix it up with a bunch of people half his age, but also weightier topics: Earlier in the day, he buried his father _ Mustafa Oz, a renowned Turkish surgeon _ in Istanbul; the elder Oz died due to complications stemming from kidney failure this past Saturday night. He was 93.
Q: I'm so sorry for your loss. Had your dad been ill?
A: No, no, he was healthy as a bull. I saw him in October, and he was doing OK. But he had a bizarre blockage of his gall bladder that they were treating with antibiotics, and the antibiotics killed his kidneys _ that put him in renal failure. And what the physicians all say is if you go into renal failure when you're in your 90s, it's very hard for the body to cope. So after that, the dominoes kept falling, one after another. ...
By Turkish law, you're not allowed to turn things off. So you have to just pray that something intervenes. Thankfully, he got septic and infected, and passed away.
Q: How are you holding up?
A: It's been a tough day. ... The son buries the father, so I put him in the ground. And these are religious services, so there's a lot of praying. ... There were a thousand people at the funeral _ we had every minister of state in Turkey. It's all over the news here, 'cause he was a very influential person and accomplished so much in his life. Then we had a big event back at the home, where all these folks came, and we spoke, and we said more prayers. But then I had some musicians come _ he used to love singing Turkish songs _ just to make it a bit more festive. ...
Once you're in the ground and you've said the prayers, he's released. His soul's gone to heaven, so you should start celebrating the life he had. It's time to make the pivot.
Q: And you're still going to make it to Charlotte by Friday?
A: Yeah, I'm coming back on Thursday. But I can't guarantee my game. I brought my basketball sneakers here in case I had time, but I haven't been able to play at all this week.
Q: What kind of a basketball background do you have?
A: I actually learned it 'cause my roommates in college played basketball. I played football _ I was a safety at Harvard _ and I would play in the off-season with the basketball guys to keep my footwork sharp for football. But I switched to water polo during my third year, and eventually, I started playing intramurals. Actually, our intramural team won our college championship. Since then, I've played all through my life _ pickup leagues and stuff like that. I have a court in my basement.
Q:. How tall are you?
Well, I used to be 6-1-{. I think I'm barely 6 now. I keep shrinking. ... The data's shocking. You lose half an inch of height per decade on average ... once you get to 40. So I'm probably an inch and a half shorter than I was when I was playing football.
Q: So what do you remember most about the 2010 Celebrity Game?
A: I had a blast. I had Pitbull on my team. I had Terrell Owens. ... I guarded Mark Cuban a fair amount, which was fun. Actually, the person I guarded the most was Chris Mullin. And I told Chris, 'Listen, I know you can shoot from anywhere on the court. But I'm a surgeon, and you've had knee surgery, so I know exactly how to hit you and take your knees out. Is it really worth it? Ask yourself.' I basically Clint Eastwooded him. 'Make my day.' So he agreed not to shoot. (Laughs.)
Q: How'd you get involved in the first place, and why haven't you played in it since then?
A: Well, 10 years ago, I was playing a lot of basketball. And when I would do interviews and they asked me what sports I play and what I like doing, I'd say I love basketball. That I love watching it, but I love playing it even more. And they knew I had a court in my basement, so they figured I couldn't be completely terrible. ... Almost wherever I traveled, I'd always bring stuff and we'd play, and it was just a part of the zeitgeist that people knew I played a lot of basketball. So they invited me.
But since then, the problem I've always had is the February sweeps. It's our critical ratings period. So to go off to spend the weekend playing in an NBA game when I'm trying to get the best shows I can on the air, it's hard. But after 10 years on the show, we're having a good season ... and I thought, "It's the time to do it again." I'm blessed that they invited me. I want to get one last game under my belt.
Q: In the past, you've sworn by a daily seven-minute workout. Do you still do that?
A: Every morning. I really think it's the key to my fitness. ... I vary up what I do, but it's seven minutes. Very short. It's basically sun salutation, with some extra pushups and situps. And people can modify it as they wish. But I think it's a very important emotional crutch, because for the rest of the day, if you don't work out _ don't do anything else physically active _ at least you got in those seven minutes. That's 49 minutes a week, so that's pretty darn good. I usually go an extra minute, so that's 56 minutes _ almost an hour a week, just from that stupid little morning workout.
You never want to do it when you first get up; everyone's a little stiff or sore or tired or whatever. But by the time you start, you're almost done. Right? Two minutes into it, you're almost there. So it's really easy to get yourself to start, and it's easy to do every day. And the big question you have to ask yourself is: Are you going to admit your life is so out of order, so disconnected, so out of control, that you can't carve out seven minutes a morning? If you say yes to that, you've got bigger issues.
Q: Well, so how do you feel about being the oldest player on the roster?
A: I have to remember that when you get old, your mind is willing, but the body is weak. ... Over the last three years, I've broken two fingers while playing. And I'm a surgeon. I still operate. So it was a real problem for me.
But I'll tell you what my real motivation is. If you look at the New York City Marathon finishing times, you'll see that a 17-year-old who runs the marathon takes the same amount of time to finish it, on average, as a 65-year-old. Think about that. Your strongest and fastest age is 27. So, the most dangerous basketball player is a 27-year-old player, the most dangerous football player is 27 _ 'cause they're smarter, but they're also faster and stronger. But your ability to do things at 17 is similar to 65. ...
Humans are naturally designed to be able to be fit well into our 70s and 80s. The Tarahumara Indians, for example, in northern Mexico. Even the older ones, they run 80, 90 miles a week. So I don't want people who are 60 years old thinking they're over the hump. No, I won't be the basketball player I used to be, but I can run up and down the court, I can keep up with people half my age. I might not be able to out-jump them and get more rebounds, but I can use my brain to get between them and the basket and to help my team.
Q: Do you have any specific goals for Friday night?
A: The most important thing is don't get hurt. It's a low bar. Number two: Have fun. And number three? I mean, if I could score, that'd be nice!
