Antawn Jamison spent time on-line last season writing back and forth with former teammate and fellow rookie Vince Carter. (NBA Photos)

He was the National College Player of the Year in 1997-98. And after a promising rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, Antawn Jamison's career in the NBA looks bright.

Jamison, dubbed 1997-98's top collegian by just about every one with a reputable award to pass out, is on the verge of becoming one of Golden State's marquee players.

According to Mike Krzyzewski, the kid is well-prepared for the NBA. The Duke University Head Coach called Jamison "the best (college) player in the country" a year ago, and the numbers would seem to bear Krzyzewski out — Jamison averaged 22.2 ppg and 10.5 rpg, becoming the first Tar Heel since Billy Cunningham (1964-65) to average double figures in both categories.

Need more proof? Jamison was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week seven times. He ended his career at Carolina as the seventh-leading scorer (1,974) and fourth-leading rebounder (1,027) in school history.

The Warriors were believers - they landed Jamison, the fourth overall pick, in a draft-day deal with Toronto in exchange for Jamison's college teammate, Vince Carter.

For three years, Jamison and Carter were teammates at the University of North Carolina, and their lives became further intertwined that night when they were traded for one another.

And though Carter was more than 3,000 miles away, with the Raptors, their friendship endured via the occasional phone call, and on NBA.com. Throughout the season, the former Tar Heels shared the trials and triumphs of their first season in the NBA.

After a slow start, Jamison finished his rookie campaign with a flourish. He wound up being named to the 1998-99 Schick All-Rookie Second Team after leading all rookies in double-doubles (7) and ranking second in rebounds (6.4 rpg), fifth in field-goal percentage (.452) and eighth in scoring (9.6 ppg).

With a year under his belt, Jamison will sit down with NBA.com and talk about his first season as a pro. He'll also discuss his involvement in the 1999-2000 TeamUp program, which organizes teenage volunteers to help with a series of clean-up projects at the homes of senior citizens throughout the Bay Area. Antawn joined NBA.com for a live chat on September 17. Here is a transcript of that chat.

Antawn Jamison at 4:29pm ET
I think so. I started off kind of slowly, and the whole title of being a rookie came in to effect. I started to get comfortable as the season went on and I gave some guys some trouble in the second half of the season.

My mind set will be very different, not being a rookie anymore. I spent a lot of time working on my game in the offseason, so I can come out and compete and make a lot of noise.

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touchdown at 4:29pm ET
Antawn,

You finished your rookie season strong. What have you been doing during the off-season to get yourself ready for taking your game to a new level this year? Also, have you gotten together with any of the other Warriors to work out during the off-season?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:32pm ET
I've been working on a lot of things I need. I've been working on my jump shot and working on my perimeter game, and also spending more time facing up.

I've been working out with Vonteego Cummings and Tim Young, Jason Caffey. Adonal Foyle has spent a lot of time down here, and Mookie Blaylock has been working out with us as well. A lot of guys have been here. We want everyone to know that we mean business. A lot of guys came in early to work out and get ready.

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alex from iol14.com at 4:32pm ET
How do you feel you guys will do this year in that tough division?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:34pm ET
A lot of teams in the Pacific have been doing a lot to make their teams better. I feel confident in our team. We have Mookie, which gives us a huge advantage over last season, and we have Vonteego, who we think can come in and do a lot of things. I think if we get team chemisty early in the season, we can make a lot of noise. If we can get good team chemistry and stay injury free, we can come out and compete. The guys on this team are dedicated to making it to the playoffs for the fans. They've been so patient so it will be nice to get the Warriors back to the playoffs.

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Mike McGann at 4:35pm ET
Antawn,

Vince Carter had a break-out rookie season for the Raptors.
Did that make you press more when you saw your buddy
excelling while you struggled?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:36pm ET
Not really. At first, it probably did. Seeing guys like Vince, Paul Pierce, Jason Williams come out strong, I put a lot of pressure on myself early on. Then reality set in, and I realized that our situations were very different. They were getting more chances to play, and they were taking advantage. That's when I really began to relax and stop pressing. Toward the end of the season, I knew what was going on and I started playing with more confidence. By the end of the season, I was even putting up better numbers than a lot of the other guys.

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Melissa at 4:37pm ET
How was it playing in Cameron Indoor Stadium? How does it compare to other schools in the ACC? How does the fan support vary from college to the pros?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:39pm ET
Cameron was one of the loudest places I've ever played at. That's the thing about the ACC, the fan support is at another level. Compared to the NBA, it is completely different. Sometimes in college, it seems it's more personal, the fans have a lot of energy and you really hear them the entire game. In the NBA it's more of a family atmosphere - a lot of families, a lot of business people. It's a different atmosphere. There are some NBA arenas that get loud, but it's just different.

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Erik at 4:39pm ET
Hey Antawn,
Which position do you feel the most comfortable playing? The small forward position or the power forward position?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:41pm ET
I started to feel a lot more comfortable at the three. The way we run the three, I get to do a lot of different things. I can run out on the wings and get the ball in transition, I can pull up and hit jumpers from the perimeter. At first it was hard to adjust, because in college I was usually playing with my back to the basket as a power forward.

I've been working on that a lot this summer, though, and the more you do it and the more you work on it, you start to feel a lot more comfortable. This season, I think I'll be playing a little of both, so I won't be one-dimensional.

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alex from iol14.com at 4:41pm ET
What's your favorite team to play against?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:43pm ET
A kind of like Houston and L.A. You look at Houston and they have three of the greatest players in history with Scottie, Charles and Hakeem. You always want to play the best. It's the same witht he Lakers, with Kobe, Rick Fox, Glen Rice. So among the teams we played last year, they'd be my favorites, but I didn't get a lot of chances to play teams on the East coast, like the Knicks, like Charlotte, but those are teams I'm looking forward to playing against this season.

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Cameron at 4:43pm ET
What's up Antawn? I was wondering what aspect of your game do you think has improved the most over the course of the summer?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:44pm ET
I think the big aspect is to be more consistent with the jumper. I've been to a lot of camps and just worked on it on my own, sometimes taking as many as 500 jump shots in a day. That's the aspect of my game that I think has improved a lot, just getting more comfortable with shooting the jumper.

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alex from iol14.com at 4:44pm ET
What exactly do you do in the TeamUp program?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:45pm ET
For me, TeamUp is me interacting with the community. I feel that a lot of athletes need to have a one-on-one relationship with the fans and the community. We need to go out into the community and show the fans how much we care and how much they mean to the game. They've done so much to show their appreciation for us, and I think it's important for us to do the same.

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FloorGeneral at 4:46pm ET
Antawn,
How do you feel about the comparisons some have made between you and Bernard King?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:48pm ET
That's hard. Once you look at a guy like Bernard and what he did in the league, that's a compliment, but then it's up to you to go out and justify those comparisons. If anyone compares my game to his, I don't have a problem with that. That's one of the highest compliments anyone could pay me.

I do see a lot of stuff that he did that I do. It's a compliment that you have to let sink in and appreciate, but it makes you work harder.

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John Phillips at 4:48pm ET
Hey Antawn,
Who's been the most helpful to you in getting acustomed life in the pros?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:50pm ET
Terry Cummings. He's really taught me a lot not just about the game on the court but off the court also. He's been in the leauge for 18 years and he took me under his wing. He's paved the way for me and help me keep my head straight. So if there is anyone who has influenced me in the NBA, it would have to be Terry.

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DC Tar Heel at 4:50pm ET
Do you get back to UNC for their famous summer battles and have you recieved any advice from MJ?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:51pm ET
I went back this summer for awhile. I was finishing up my degree and I did get to hang around with some players and play a little bit. A lot of the NBA guys, we played against the current guys, and Michael was playing with them to even it up a little bit.

Even though I did get to spend the first part of the summer in Chapel Hill, I haven't had a chance to talk to MJ that much. He's pretty busy as you can imagine, but I will talk to him. I talked to him last season and he did a lot for my confidence, telling me I was going to be alright. When he tells you that, that tells you a lot about yourself.

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Brett Ferruccio at 4:52pm ET
Antawn, of the incoming class, which player do you think has the most potential to succeed and dominate the NBA in the future?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:54pm ET
I like Lamar Odom. He's so versitle that he can give you fits. He can shoot the ball and he can post up. He's the kind of player that can have a sudden impact. Playing with the Clippers, he will have a chance to play a lot right away. I also think that Steve Francis in Houston will have an opporunity to succeed. Maybe not right from the start, but with the talent he has around him, he should do well.

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Pete Gakos at 4:54pm ET
If you could go back, would you leave UNC early again?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:56pm ET
Yes, because when I look back at my situation, I would have made the same descion. It's been a learning process. It's been one of those things where I think I made a wise decison when I had to. I had been to two Final Fours, been named National Player of the Year. It was time. There was a time during the lockout when I wondered if I had made the right decision. Once we started playing, though, I never looked back. I did go back this summer, finished my degree, and now I'm done.

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Jace Backman at 4:56pm ET
Who is the strongest player that you have played against so far, either in college or the NBA?

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Antawn Jamison at 4:57pm ET
I think that Karl Malone has been the strongest. He's a big guy. He is built like concrete. Shaq, he's got a bigger body, but as for pure strength, I would have to say that the stongest player I've played against is Karl.

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vijay at 4:57pm ET
What do you think about the Tar Heels this season?

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Antawn Jamison at 5:00pm ET
It's going to be a different year than last year. This year, the guys are a lot more mature. They got some good recruits that will help them out. Last year they struggled a little bit, and guys were thrown in to a tough situation with Vince and I leaving early. I will say that they will be first in the ACC, ahead of the Dukies. They'll be alright. They've been working hard and are excited about the year. I think they have a shot to make it to the Final Four.

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Antawn Jamison at 5:01pm ET
I'd like to tell the fans that this year will be a totally different year. I'm looking forward to it. And I would like to thank the fans who supported me, even when I struggled. I've worked hard this summer and I'm ready to play some basketball again.

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