Kidd-Gilchrist working as hard off the court as on

Posted: Fri 1:16 PM, Jul 13, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist continues to work hard off the basketball court so he'll be able to confidently talk about his success on it.

It hasn't been easy for the teenager. The No. 2 pick in the NBA draft by the Charlotte Bobcats has battled a speech disorder since he was a toddler.

But the guarded young man tells The Associated Press he doesn't pay much attention to his stuttering anymore.

Kidd-Gilchrist's off-court self-confidence has grown considerably over the last 12 months since being thrust into the national spotlight. That's what happens when you chose to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky, win a national championship and become the second pick in the draft.

Kidd-Gilchrist says stuttering is "a part of me. It's who I am."

Teater shoots 65, trails by three