OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) For a few moments in nearly every game Erick Dampier has played for the Golden State Warriors, he was the best player on the floor.

Dampier once dunked on Shaquille O'Neal with a ferocity that caused third-row spectators to flinch. He rebounded over Yao Ming, then elbowed past the Houston center for a coast-to-coast score. He blocked consecutive shots by Kevin Garnett. He flattened Baron Davis.

``Sometimes, he could do anything,'' said Adonal Foyle, his longtime teammate. ``Literally anything. He has that amount of talent.''

These moments always ended, however. Dampier always retreated into a shell of inactivity, indecision and seemingly halfhearted effort during his first six seasons with the Warriors.

Money never bought happiness or respect for Dampier. He has a contract that was once the richest in Bay area sports history: a seven-year, $48 million deal signed in August 1999.

He was the cornerstone, the big man in the middle of the Warriors' rebuilding effort. But while Golden State kept losing and Dampier struggled through years of injuries and slumps, he became a reviled symbol of everything that was wrong with one of the NBA's most woebegone franchises.

Fans booed him. Coaches criticized him. He rarely said a word, keeping his emotions behind a silent glower.

``It hasn't been easy,'' Dampier said. ``There's been a lot of tough times here, more tough than good.''

But in the optimistic early days of a new season, Dampier has been every bit as exciting and intriguing as his team. The Warriors' days as doormats appear to be behind them, and Dampier appears to be the player his formidable potential always suggested.

He's quicker, tougher and happier than he's ever been _ and in the new season's first weeks, he has been one of the league's best big men.

``You can tell he's happier,'' guard Jason Richardson said. ``He's talkative, he's dunking on people, he's rebounding. It's really waking up a sleeping giant. Once Damp gets his groove back, he's going to be a real factor this year.''

Judging by the early results, Dampier has found that groove. He led the NBA in rebounding entering Friday night's games with more than 14 per game, and he had scored 12.5 points per game while making better than 52 percent of his shots.

``You've got to feed the big guy, and he's our guy down there,'' point guard Nick Van Exel said. ``You get the ball to Damp on a consistent basis, and you're going to get results.''

To Dampier, the reasons for his turnaround are simple: He is injury-free after four years of worrying about his left knee, which has been surgically repaired three times. He reported to camp in superb shape after spending the offseason working with trainers and Clifford Ray, the former NBA star and Warriors assistant coach.

``It's just good to run around without having that in the back of your mind,'' said Dampier, who's finally playing without a knee brace. ``I have confidence going up for rebounds or getting the ball in the post. I have the ability to do what I want without anything letting me down.''

Dampier and Foyle are in their seventh season as a reasonably effective center tandem. Neither earned a clear-cut No. 1 job, but both are better than backups.

Though he started all 82 games last season, Dampier was on the bench frequently in the fourth quarter. He stewed in the role, even referring to first-year coach Eric Musselman as ``Mussel-head'' in an unintentionally comical moment of frustration.

But Foyle had offseason knee surgery, then had more surgery this month after the knee stiffened up again. He could be out for several weeks and instead of putting extra pressure on Dampier, Foyle's absence seems to be a prime motivation.

''(He's getting) minutes, and there's no threat behind him,'' Musselman said. ``If there's no one behind you, you can do whatever you want. You have freedom. There's a self-motivation for him to do well. He enjoys his teammates and the locker room. He's more vocal.''

``Hopefully he'll get tired out, and I can play a little bit when I get back,'' Foyle said with a grin.

With just four players back from last season's 38-44 team, Dampier has made an effort to bond with his new teammates. That wasn't always the case with previous members of the Warriors' ever-changing roster.

Dampier has been close with Foyle for years, but he spent time with other Warriors infrequently, preferring solitude in his Alameda home. This season, he has felt at ease with Golden State's more veteran cast, including Van Exel and Clifford Robinson.

``I had Nick over to dinner at my house, and a few of us went over to dinner at his house a few days later,'' Dampier said. ``That never happened here before, never. It's a totally different, veteran atmosphere. Guys care about what's going on with other guys. ... It makes us a better team.''

Dampier has been significantly more friendly and approachable to the Warriors' coaches and staff. He's also expanding his community work: Last July, he established the Erick Dampier Foundation to aid underprivileged children in his native Mississippi and the Bay area by paying their way to sports camps.

Dampier's contract, once the source of scorn, has since been dwarfed by other athletes _ and he can opt out of the deal next summer. Though Dampier says he hasn't decided what to do, the possibility of free agency at 29 clearly intrigues him.

``Right now, I'm just trying to be consistent,'' he said. ``That's all I want out of this year.''