I got a few minutes on the phone with grad and former NBA star John Salley Thursday to talk about his experiences on the NBC show “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” The vegan who has a home in Lithonia came in third behind winner and actor Lou Diamond Phillips and wrestler Torrie Wilson. He has been back from Costa Rica for a week after 26 days in the jungle, where he happily promoted his natural food line on www.johnsalleyfoods.com, which he is trying to get broad distribution.

Salley was (mostly) a calm presence and a great cook. He got along with most everybody as well, with the exception of the irascible supermodel Janice Dickinson.

Q: So how badly bitten did you get?

A: I had only five bug bites. I have no flesh juice coming out my pores.

Q: Who got it worst?

A: Lou Diamond and Stephen Baldwin. But they’re both flesh eaters.

Q: Was the experience worse, the same or better than you expected?

A: It was worse. It’s funny. It was 98% humidity. There was rain and mosquitoes. I know every cricket sound there is. Spiders, snakes, lizards, land crabs and the dampness. No underwear. Dirty clothes. Irritable people. Rice and beans. They forgot we were Americans. I’m an American. It really hit home day one for me.

Q: How did you cope with it?

A: You had to think beyond yourself. I’ve taken my life back. Things are simpler now. I had a lot of time to reflect.

Q: Did you want to leave?

A: Every single one of us wanted to get out of there. If they voted us out, that’s what has to happen. You try to say, ‘Please vote me out!’

Q: How much weight did you lose?

A: 21 pounds. I lost toxins, ten pounds of stress and worry and resentment and guilt I’ve had over 25 years that I had to shed. I would recommend this to anybody who wants to change their life. You want to go in that jungle. You go in that jungle and be yourself. You might come out liking yourself. [I'm not sure if he's being metaphorical or merely philosophical here.]

Q: Did everyone else handle things as well?

A: It’s funny. I didn’t pay much attention to what everybody else was totally feeling. I just woke up every day. I didn’t sleep well. I slept in bits and pieces… Nobody realized it was going to be a real jungle with rain moving sideways and soaking you all the time. Angela and Frances [the two VH1 ladies] had a tough time. Heidi and Spencer had a tough time.

Q: What were Heidi and Spencer like? From our vantage point as viewers, they were incredibly annoying.

A: Spencer is brilliant. He understands what celebrity is now. It doesn’t take you having to do anything. Athlete. Actor. Singer. Dancer. Those are talents. People would celebrate that talent. Now people just sit around and watch other people’s lives or think what people’s lives are like. The more they blog about them, the more they write about them, the more they see them in tabloids, the more famous they get. I find it amazing that’s what it’s come to.

Q: What was Sanjaya [the former "American Idol" contestant] like? He came across much more likable here than he did on “Idol.”

A: Sanjaya and Holly [Montag] came by two days ago to meet my family and have dinner. First thing I handed them was a bowl of beans that had been coking for eight hours. They just laughed and jumped straight in. Sanjaya is a very talented singer… this is a real person. He was only 17 on that other show and he’s 19 now. He can do more than change his hair every week and sing.

Q: What did you think about Lou Diamond Phillips winning?

A: I thought I was going to win! To be honest, I didn’t think I would lost at all. I’m happy for Lou. He’s an honorable man. A great guy, a great camp person. He and Daniel Baldwin and I are having a barbecue later this month at Daniel’s place. I made friends with almost everybody. [Except of Janice, of course.]

Q: What are your plans?

A: I’m shopping around a cooking show. And I plan to do a reality show with my family, my wife and three kids. I’m about to take a flight to meet with NBC. And I’m trying to sell my cooking show concept to the Food Network.

Q: How often do you get back to Atlanta?

A: I have been trying to get there monthly but now it might be every other month. My mom is there. My brother lives there. And I have a house in Lithonia. Once you get that red clay between your toes, you ain’t going anywhere!

Below is a segment of Salley clashing with Dickinson.