Around The Horn

Graham Bensinger recently sat down with Matt Kemp at his Hollywood Hills home. In this good natured interview, the All-Star centerfielder reflects on his poor performance in 2010 and the criticism he received for his play. He also discusses his $160 million contract extension and being denied the 2011 MVP award. Kemp speaks about his first love, basketball, and how the paparazzi hounded him over his most recent love, music superstar Rihanna.

Some highlights of the 22 minute clip include:

• Kemp tells Bensinger that he could beat new Dodger owner and NBA legend Magic Johnson in basketball:  “I can beat him in basketball.  Right now, I can beat him in basketball…. He knows I can beat him in basketball… I heard he still has a great shot, but I have a great shot, too.”

• Kemp reveals that the 2010 season was a tough and frustrating season as the team was losing and he was not playing well. He addresses how it felt to be booed by the hometown fans.

• Kemp recalls accidentally shooting his cousin in the leg with a BB gun when he was young boy: “I swear it accidentally went off, and it was a good shot.  If I aimed it at him and tried to shoot him with it, I probably wouldn’t have hit him.”  On wanting to treat his cousin’s injury himself, much to his grandfather’s objection: “The thing about it, you could see the BB in his knee, and I was going to take a knife and literally cut it out. He was like, ‘No, we can’t do that. It’s going to get infected.’”

Give the whole interview a play.  It's time well spent with Matt Kemp.