Trail Blazers' Andre Miller speaks for first time about confrontation with Nate McMillan

Andre Miller talked to reporters for more than eight minutes Friday morning after the Trail Blazers' shootaround, offering his take on yesterday's dust up with coach Nate McMillan and other issues.

Miller, who smiled, laughed and sometimes joked with the media throughout his interview, downplayed yesterday's confrontation with McMillan, saying it was "normal dialogue between a player and a coach."

McMillan, who said Friday he apologized to the team for his handling of the's incident, also addressed the issue, which you can read about here.

Here's a transcript of Miller's interview:

What happened yesterday?
“Just things that happen on every team. Eighty-two games, ups and downs, disagreements, good times, bad times, you know, you learn from it and move on.”

How are you feeling now?
“I feel fine. You know, coach feels fine. I mean, players and coaches go through this stuff all the time, you know, disagreements, agreements, that’s just a part of the business. You’re around each other like a family and we want to keep it that way.”

Nate said he apologized to the team today.
“That was just something we cleared up as a team, man to man. It was definitely nothing to be made a big deal out of. This happens on every team and it wasn’t a big deal to me, you know, we just want to move past it. We learn from our experiences and move on.”

He said he talked to you one on one, did you have a good conversation?
“Yeah, I mean, you want to have an open dialogue. That’s what we talked about, you know, point guard, coach. And as players, we still gonna stick together. What matters most is representing the organization in the right way and, you know, he’s worried about the organization and I’m worried about the organization and how we carry ourselves as individuals. That’s all that matters.”

Can you say in a definitive way how things are better today than they were yesterday?
“Well nothing really big happened. You know, normal dialogue between a player and a coach, you know. I mean, nobody was around to hear it but it came out, you know, for some reason.”

After that dialogue, are things better?
“Yeah, I mean, with all the stuff that’s been going on with the injuries, the 82-games, ups and downs, we’re trying to maintain and trying to get the other guys back and healthy and everything’s going to work out. It’s not like we’re, you know, 5-30 or something like that. We’re playing good basketball and we’re trying to maintain and do things the right way.”

Is there any relief for you, perhaps because yesterday cleared the air?
“I mean, it was something that we tried to control, but you guys gotta do your job, so some things might not come out the right way and it’s perceived differently to the fans and the media and other people. But I think, as far as players and the coaching staff, we’re sticking together as a family and that’s why I came here, because I respect that. And I respect the organization.”

Do you wish you had handled the situation differently? Or did you handle it appropriately?
“We handled it as men. So, you know, you’re always going to have disagreements like a relationship. And one thing, you know, being made and everybody else is (talking about) is communication. That’s the main thing. It’s communicating a little more. So I have to do a little bit better job as a point guard, as a team player. The main thing is representing the organization the right way. And I think we’ve done that so far.

From your perspective, what made you so upset yesterday?
“You guys don’t know what happened, so we gonna keep it that way. So I’m not gonna tell y’all what happened, I’m gonna just let y’all assume. But, you know, just a minor disagreement and, you know, we learn from it. We’re trying to get better as a team, we’re trying to maintain, we’re trying to represent ourselves and be professionals and, like I said, it’s 82 games and I can tell you every team has issues and problems that they have to deal with. It just doesn’t come out and this is something that came out. Whether the right or wrong way, we deal with it as professionals and we represent the organization.”

When you and Nate had your one-on-one talk, what was the message?
“We’ve been communicating since the, you know, before training camp. So, you know, I came here because I respect the coaching staff and the organization and we just talked about communication. And, you know, for me I’m gonna communicate but I’m gonna communicate in different ways. I’m not a vocal player, you know, I kind of isolate myself. But we just talked about just being a little bit more open. That’s pretty much it. You need that for 82 games cause you can easily slip off the side and come off a little bit different.”

In your NBA career, has this been the most difficult transition?
“Um, not really, because I pride myself to adjusting to any situation. I feel this situation is new, you know, I just treat is as basketball. You just go out and play basketball. I try not to get caught up in all the extra curricular stuff. But, you know, sometimes you get pulled into that. So, you know, I enjoy basketball, I enjoy this team, I respect the organization and I try to carry myself as a professional. So any personal agenda that I have is all thrown out the window.”

Can you shed some light on Tuesday night against Memphis and telling Jerryd Bayless to make the second free throw?
“It was just a disagreement I guess, you know. I mean, we talked about that. It wasn’t really a big issue. We lost the game and you move on and, you know, it’s just something that we want to put in the past. You know, it was my fault and I apologize if I came off the wrong way or said anything wrong.”

So did you know that the coaches wanted him to miss?
“Well, I was just put in the game. So I figured; I was just sitting over there, you know, for the entire fourth quarter, and then, you know, I went in there and I just went to the free throw line. But, you know, he missed the first one. I told him to make it; make the second one, you know. And that’s my fault for not looking over and communicating with the coach. And that’s what the conversation was, just more communication and trying to figure out how we could have pulled out that game.”

There’s a chance you could get traded. Would you like to finish out the year here?
“Anything’s possible. I understand that it’s a business, but, you know, I came here for a reason. And the reason was to win and that’s what the team is doing, regardless of the injuries. And I’m the type of player that doesn’t bail out when things aren’t going my way. I want to contribute to the team. I don’t have any personal agendas but winning. And that’s all that matters. I think I’m a professional, a good character guy, and I feel that’s what this organization is and that’s why I want to be here.”

You say that stuff like this happens all the time. In your career, have you ever raised your voice like that to a coach?
“Um, probably so. You know, not; it’s a different situation and I’m a little bit older and I think we both have to be responsible for what we did. And, like I said, it wasn’t a big deal. But it happens. If any point guard can tell you he never had a problem, a big spat with a coach, or a minor disagreement, he’s probably lying. It’s just kept indoors. You know, it’s something that happens between the team, stays between the team. The main thing, it’s not about me or the coach. It’s about the organization and being professionals and representing the team the right way.”