OKC Thunder: Q&A with Lakers assistant coach Quin Snyder

"Once a player respects you and your knowledge of the game, then they're very open to being coached – and that's why they are where they are."

Presumably you want to be a head coach again, right?

"Any assistant anywhere would like an opportunity to be a head coach. If I do my job well, I figure whatever happens from there, happens. I'm not in a big hurry. It's not a goal in my mind all the time."

Are you a better coach now than at Missouri?

"Definitely I got better, but I think our record at Missouri speaks for itself. We had a lot of good years and won a lot of games, but those darn Sooners got us."

Have you crossed paths much with former OU coach Kelvin Sampson, now an assistant with the Houston Rockets?

"Yeah, I do. We've shared some things in many respects, mainly just coming from college to the NBA game. We probably like each other more now than back then. He and I got to be pretty close, even while we were in college. He was someone I learned a lot from. He was always very good to me … except during the games."