Post columnist Steve Serby aimed a series of questions at Knicks sharpshooter Steve Novak.
Q: Have you seen anything ever like Linsanity before?
A: Never. … And what’s even crazier to me is, I don’t think it’s going anywhere. You see things sometimes where it’s a flash in the pan, and it’s like, “Oh, that was incredible, and now it’s gone.” I mean, it hasn’t stopped, and he’s being himself and he’s not forcing anything, and because he’s being himself, I feel like you can see this is Jeremy. It’s not like, “Wow, he’s making halfcourt shots. That’s gonna stop soon.” This is Jeremy being Jeremy.
Q: So you think this will last?
A: I think it’ll last.
Q: So you think he’s the real deal?
A: Oh, I do.
Q: Personalize the 2011 Knicks for me — Jeremy Lin.
A: When you talk about Linsanity, when you talk about the craziness that’s kinda been going on of late … you can tell he really doesn’t like it, that’s not him. What’s going on is so maybe out-of-body or … unexpected, that you just see how humble he really is. … I think because he is such a genuine person and a guy who is so humble and is taking all in stride that there’s not a person in the locker room, or it seems like New York or maybe even the whole world, that’s not happy for him.
Q: Carmelo Anthony.
A: I saw him in a different light one day when his son actually was in the locker room with us, and all of a sudden he said, “Daddy, my hands are itching.” Something was wrong, he was real itchy all of a sudden. He had drank something, it was Carmelo’s like supplement drink that we all drink, but for some reason it made his little man itch. And I saw him as a father instead of this stoic basketball player, and he was putting baby powder on his little man, he was rubbing lotion on him, and he took him and showered him off, tried to figure out what was going on. You saw him in a different light — a loving, caring dad.
Q: Amar’e Stoudemire.
A: Super, super intellectual. We’re at brunch the other day, and he has a literal school textbook, on I believe it was the history of maybe the western civilization … a history book … and I said, “Is this your book?” when he had gone to get some food. He said, “Yeah, I’m a history buff, I love reading.” I told him I hated history, I don’t know he liked it (chuckle).
Q: Jared Jeffries.
A: He’s what we would describe in the locker room as kinda the peanut gallery. He’s just always got something to say about somebody, and it’s never in like an I-don’t-like-you-I’m making-fun-of-you kinda way. It’s like a you’re-my-guy-and-I’m-gonna-get-a-quick-jab-at-you. Just [yesterday] as soon as we brought it in, we’re done with practice, we’re gonna say “1-2-3 Knicks.” He goes, “Guys, guys, guys, hold on, I just want to make one announcement.” He goes, “We just found Steve Novak’s real birth certificate, and it says that he’s 33 years old.”
Q: Landry Fields.
A: Him and Jeremy, they sit next to each other on the plane, and they started playing Monopoly together on their iPads, and I’m next to Jerome Jordan, and I’m like watching “The Office” on my iPad, and these guys are yelling and screaming and laughing, and I take off my headphones and I’m like, “What are you guys doing?”
Q: Iman Shumpert.
A: He’s a guy who you really see has a lot of swagger. And he’s the same way off the court. He’s one cool cat, let’s say that. I think he has style. .. He knows how to dress. … There’s some guys who come in and they seem out of place, almost. Maybe like a Jeremy Lin, it’s like, “Wow, look what he’s doing!” And there’s a Shumpert, who exudes confidence off the court. He comes up to you and he’s rapping. And you go, “Who is that rapping?” and he’s like, “That’s me, that’s me.”
Q: Tyson Chandler.
A: When someone’s not acting the right way, Tyson’ll say something to you, and it’s never hard feelings. He always handles it in a very professional way. … He loves art, he loves fashion.
Q: How would you compare his outfits to Walt Frazier’s?
A: Oh boy. … I think those guys could have a very fun time going shopping together.
Q: Bill Walker.
A: He got into a little something with Kevin Garnett. … The Billy I see is after every single game, he’s got his little daughter Milan, and he goes and gets her and holds her.
Q: Mike Bibby.
A: We make fun of him a lot because of what a germophobe he is. He washes his hands, and puts towels on all the chairs he sits on (chuckle).
Q: Toney Douglas.
A: He’s always like just a ball of energy.
Q: Steve Novak.
A: Off the court, my favorite thing in the world is being a dad. I have a 19-month-old son (Mack). Anyone who has a kid knows once you have a child it’s like your life changes. All of a sudden he’s saying words, and he’s copying things you say. … You come in and he peeks around the corner and he wants you to chase him. Going on road trips right now is like one of the hardest things ’cause you spend as much as time as you can while they’re at this age ’cause they’re changing so fast.
Q: Mike D’Antoni.
A: Got my wife’s cell phone number and gave it to his wife, and his wife called my wife … so really very much of a family atmosphere that I think is created a lot by him. I think that he really go to any player and just have a normal conversation, which I think is rare.
Q: What is that feeling like when you’re in a zone?
A: It’s just the best. For some reason, on those given days, it’s like you’re really in touch with your body. Your brain is telling your body to do things and they’re doing exactly that. It’s like you know that the ball’s going in before you shoot it, and you just don’t want the game to end, you don’t want it to be halftime, you don’t want there to be timeouts. … You just hope that you just get the ball in your hands as many times as possible ’cause you feel like the hoop is just huge and you’re so in touch with yourself.
Q: Why have you bounced from team to team?
A: I think that some teams value what I do more than others. I think because, I don’t make $15 million a year, I’m obviously easily moved. … You see guys who bounce around, then they really find the right spot and the right system. I think there’s no question in my mind Coach D’Antoni’s system is great for me, and I think that I’m very valuable to the team in this system.
Q: Does Spike Lee know who you are?
A: I believe so. … We’ve definitely said hello quite a few times. … It’s like you watch so many games for so long, you see him there, and now it’s still unreal sometimes to go by and it’s like, “Hey Spike.” … It’s crazy being from Brown Deer, Wis., and playing in the Garden and saying hey to Spike and then going and shooting a layup, it’s pretty neat.
Q: Any reason why he hasn’t worn your jersey yet?
A: I don’t know. Maybe I need to give him a little gift box with one of my high school jerseys — I see he’s gone high school on us, with Jeremy’s?
Q: You admired Allan Houston and Larry Bird.
A: Allan, the way he could get hot … that’s always been my goal, is be able to just be an unguardable scorer. Obviously Allan was a very different player than I am. We both shoot the ball, but the way he was just so dominant in some games because of his ability to make shots. Obviously Larry Bird, the same kind of thing, a guy who you look at and don’t expect to be able to do as much as he does. He just gets it, he understands what makes him good. And he obviously has the ability to shoot the ball, which is why those two guys are incredible to watch and learn from.
Q: What was it like the first time you played in the Garden?
A: [It was] my first college game. Coaches versus Cancer versus Villanova. A stage like that, for your first? … There’s enough pressure not having played in college in the first place, then to be in New York, and then to be in the Garden, it was unbelievable. I still have a picture of my first shot that I made in college, and it was in the Garden.
Q: Biggest influence growing up?
A: My dad (Mike). He was my high school coach. … He introduced me to the game of basketball, taught me to love the game. … I was just in the gym during his practices. He’d have practice, I’d be goofing around at the other end of the court, shooting.
Q: Talk about your 42-point game against Whitefish Bay Dominican.
A: You did some research on me! (smile). It was my highest-scoring high school game. I committed to Marquette University, their star had committed to Wisconsin. … It was a complete sellout. … It was the first time our school, which wasn’t a huge school, had sold tickets to the game.
Q: Compare Tom Crean, who was your coach at Marquette, and D’Antoni.
A: Polar opposites in personality. Coach Crean really was someone who tried to really understand each player’s mind and how to motivate them and … was a toughness coach. Coach D’Antoni is more laid-back. He really allows his players to be themselves and doesn’t really come in and try to really threaten anyone or motivate in that kind of way. But I think for myself personally, having the kind of coach that I did in college has allowed me to be able to be successful under a coach like D’Antoni.
Q: How did you propose to your wife Christina?
A: I actually proposed to her — it’s gonna sound corny — it was at a White Sox game. Her family owns a business and had rented out a big suite for some of their closest employees, and invited my family and her family. And it was Fireworks Night and Frank Sinatra Night. So once the game ended, there was a big fireworks show, and Frank Sinatra music playing, and stuff like that, and we were all watching the fireworks kind of a terrace.
Q: You had the ring on you?
A: Myself and one friend knew. I had the ring in my pocket, and I’ll tell ya, it was like the most nerve-wracking night — you keep patting your pocket making sure it’s there, making sure it’s there.
Q: Two dinner guests?
A: My grandfather (Ivan), who passed away when I was very young; Brett Favre.
Q: Growing up in Wisconsin, did you go to Packers games?
A: Actually during the [NBA] lockout, I got to two of ’em, and those were the first I’ve ever been to. My grandparents live half a block away from Lambeau Field, we used to park cars on their lawn when we were little and charge five bucks and think it was the coolest thing ever … but I’d never gone to a game.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Borat.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Tom Hanks.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Halle Berry.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Pasta with chicken in an alfredo sauce.
Q: Where do you get that?
A: Cheesecake factory has some incredible pasta — that’s one of my favorite spots, when I lived in L.A. There was one around the corner. I live in White Plains, there’s one right around the corner
steve.serby@nypost.com