ANAHEIM — Maybe I’m wrong about this, but I’m guessing not too many
Division I college basketball players feel just as comfortable talking about Michaelangelo as Michael Jordan.
Actually, Stanford’s Robin Lopez might be more at ease discussing sculptures and paintings than zone defenses and alley-oops.
The wild-haired half of the Cardinal’s 7-foot twin towers is into art, among other non-basketball subjects, as he patiently explained to us uncultured hacks in the Stanford locker room inside Honda Center this afternoon.
While his teammates watched USD vs. UConn, Lopez described a project he’s working on. He said it’s a cross between The Last Judgment and The Gates of Hell — which, if you weren’t aware, is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin.
Lopez drew inspiration from a trip to Italy to see the Sistine Chapel.
“I was amazed by the size of it,” he said. “I’m amazed it was completed. It’s amazing how everything connects.”
Lopez is something of a Disney aficionado, too. When a reporter brought up the popular March Madness topic of Cinderella, Lopez quickly noted that it was Walt Disney’s favorite film. And why does Cinderella connect with so many people?
“It’s the rags-to-riches story,” Lopez said.
He hasn’t been to Disneyland on this particular trip to Southern California, but the Fresno native went many times with his family as a youth. He has gotten considerably taller since then, making the park feel a little smaller.
“As a kid, it seemed like there were no boundaries to the park,” Lopez said. “It really blurred the line between reality and 
fantasy.”
Among the Lopez brothers’ fantasies is to play on the same NBA team someday. At least that’s what Brook (left) said, throwing out a scenario where one twin would be drafted (presumably Brook) and the other would sign with that team as a free agent. (That certainly would make things easier on their seemingly ever-present mom, Deborah.)
For now, though, Brook said, “We’re just trying to enjoy the college experience.”
It continues Saturday with an NCAA Tournament second-round game against Marquette, which predictably spent much of its media exposure talking about the Lopez twins.
They’re a handful for any opponent, but might they be even more effective if Robin cut his Sideshow Bob-esque locks to match his brother’s close-cropped look, making them virtually indistinguishable?
“I think we’re effective enough right now without risking my hair,” Robin said.
– Michael Lev, The Orange County Register
