AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Myles Turner #52 of the Texas Longhorns defends against the North Dakota State Bison at the Frank Erwin Center on November 14, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)

On s uper teams: I'm a winner, man. I love to win. I appreciate the competitive side of basketball but if you're going to build a super team, it's going to suck if you're not on the team but I respect what these guys are doing. I respect what KD did. Man, he had the chance to do great things in Oklahoma city but saw a chance to do even bigger things, greater things in Golden State. That he did. A lot of guys look down upon him but... he literally held his own. He played incredible defense and it's not like he was just a role player.

On being the longest-tenured Pacer at age 21: Just being back home in Dallas it hasn't really hit me. When I go back it might but I'm groomed for this, been preparing for it my whole life to even be in this predicament. I'm now the longest-tenured Pacer. That's crazy. I'm looking forward to it, the ups and downs and everything. Being able to get this experience so young will help me moving to my prime in my veteran years.

Pacers star Myles Turner, a former top recruit at Euless Trinity and one-year player at Texas, joined 105.3 The Fan's Ben & Skin to talk Dirk Nowitzki, building his team and wanting to stay in Austin longer. Here are some highlights:

On taking less money for a better NBA chance: I feel like it depends on what I've accomplished in my career. If I've gotten my ring and gotten the things I had my sight set out to do then yeah I might take a little less money, let guys coming into the league make their impact.

But if I haven't accomplished everything I set out to do, I'm going to do whatever it takes to make that All-Star team, to get the ring, to be first-team all-NBA. It just depends on where I'm at in my career.

Even if you take less money and have accomplished everything you want to do from a business side of it, there's a business outside of basketball when you're done. Guys want to be surrounded by winners. If you're a winner and go over to other companies... you're setting yourself up for even greater things in the future.

On Dirk: I respect the hell out of Dirk Nowitzki. I grew up watching him, man, would watch him and then immediately after the games go to the driveway and mimic the fadeaways and mimic everything he did. The fact he was able to bring a ring and a championship to this city is unreal. You grow up and you watch the super team, the Big 3 of Wade, Bosh and LeBron. It was incredible to see how [Dirk] did it and just willed that team.

Are you a power forward, center or does it matter? I'm a basketball player. Positionless basketball, that's where the league is headed right now and my dad from a young age made me work on everything ... At the time I didn't appreciate or understand that, looking back on it now it sucked having to do all the drills with the guards, constantly getting ripped, constantly the slowest guy out there but now to do a little bit of everything, I'm thankful for it.

Who's taller - you or KD? I'm taller than him. He'd say he's a 7-footer but he's not a 7-footer. He's got a lot of length on him but he's ... 6-10. If you want to get really, really meticulous I'm 6-11 ¾ with my shoes. I just missed the little ceiling right there.

On leaving school early: I wanted to stay. Austin, TX is like my favorite city in the U.S. I've obviously traveled everywhere just playing basketball and I love Austin. I didn't want to leave the city, I didn't want to leave my teammates - we were building something great. I didn't even want to leave the classes, they were so interesting and intriguing, the incredible professors.

But my parents were like, "You got to go, man. Your name is hot right now, you have a chance to be a hot commodity in the draft class and have a chance to go out and work 10 times as hard as you've been working."

I didn't want to leave, man, I was a kid in a candy shop and I loved it - the whole college experience, admittedly being away from your parents a little while. But I knew business is business and do what I have to do.

On second annual Myles Turner back-to-school camp: I'm a little, little kid when I come to this stuff. I'm in every drill, hyped up ... playing defense, blocking shots.

Texas is an incredible football state but kids can make it out of here for basketball too and I want them to understand that. It's August 18-19.