It’s about business big business.

“It’s all about entertainment,” said the 25-year-old Pollard, a three-year NBA veteran out of Kansas University, who just completed his second season with the Sacramento Kings.

“In my opinion, we are not too far from the WWF (World Wrestling Federation).

“Basketball players are becoming icons, all because of Michael Jordan. Now it’s something where we’re marketing ourselves. Coaches are catching onto that and some are marketing themselves. I’m not going to lie and say I’m just a real popular, great player. It has something to do with the off-the-court things I do.”

Casey Wilson/Journal-World Photo

One of the most popular members of the Kings Pollard’s contract is up and he’s expected to ink a lucrative deal with Sacramento or possibly another team Pollard has his own column on the Kings’ website.

He interviewed players for a network TV show during Game One of the NBA Finals in Los Angeles.

The ex-Jayhawk , who stands an imposing 6-11, 265, is a softie at heart.

He likes to talk about his his wife, baby daughter and two Great Danes, who all live in Lawrence each offseason. He drives both a Lincoln Navigator and his old Cadillac, the refurbished “Marvin.”

“I like coming back here in the summer,” said Pollard, who owns a house here. He originally hails from San Diego. “We have great neighbors. It’s a small town. You have the neighborhood block parties, hang out and talk in the front yard. The plan is for now to stay right here.”

Casey Wilson/Journal-World Photo

And hopefully play ball for years to come in Sacramento, where he reportedly earned over $1 million last year in the final year of his contract. July 1 is the first day of the negotiating period. Players can sign contracts starting Aug. 1.

Pollard spent his first year in the league in Detroit and last two in Sacramento. This past season, Pollard averaged 5.4 points and 5.3 boards while logging 17.6 minutes a game.

“I think this season I proved last year the short season (because of walkout) was no fluke. I proved I can contribute to a team given the right circumstances. I’ve made no secret I like playing in Sacramento and I’ll leave it at that.”

On Tuesday, Pollard served as guest speaker at Roy Williams’ basketball camp. He had hundreds of youngsters hooting and hollering and stamping their feet while giving the youngsters pointers on the game and relating experiences during different periods of his life.

As far as his career … he reminded the campers his Sacramento Kings came close to a major stunner this year. The eventual world champion Lakers needed five games to subdue the Kings in the first-round of the playoffs.

“I learned if we won our last game we’d be national champions,” Pollard said. “If we’d beaten the Lakers they would not have won it all we would have.”

Several current and former Jayhawks are in town for Williams’ basketball camp. Junior shooting guard Jeff Boschee, who shaves his scalp during the season, has a short crew cut. Junior forward Jeff Carey, who has a crew cut during the season, has grown out his hair, with a goatee.

“Jeff Carey’s look I’m not so sure I like,” Williams said with a smile. “It looks like he’s back in the late 60s, early 70s with the goatee, long hair and headband. But he’s doing a great job in our camp.

“Like he said, you can only do that kind of thing in the summer, so you better do it right now.”

Williams on new Tulsa coach Buzz Peterson, who like Williams grew up in Asheville, N.C: “Buzz is a young man I’ve known since he was in sixth grade,” said Williams, who tutored Peterson at a high school camp and recruited him to play at the University of North Carolina.

“We recruited him. He went to North Carolina and I’ve been close to him since then. He’s done a great job at Appalachian State. He’ll continue what they’ve had going on at Tulsa with Tubby Smith, Steve Robinson and Bill Self.” KU will play Tulsa next season at Allen Fieldhouse.

Former KU players Terry Nooner and Nick Bradford presented a check for $51,000 to charities at the Williams camp on Tuesday. The money, raised from autographed basketballs, goes to Big Brothers and Sisters; Boys and Girls Club and Lawrence Schools Early Childhood Development Foundation.

KU players, current and past, played in a pick-up game for the Williams campers Tuesday. Boschee, Nick Collison, Eric Chenowith, Kenny Gregory and Jeff Carey showed some new upper body muscles perhaps Collison exhibiting the most muscle gain since last season.

Ex-Jayhawk Ryan Robertson will marry Andrea Czarnik on Aug. 12 in St. Louis. His former teammates, T.J. Pugh and C.B. McGrath, will be in the wedding.