SAN FRANCISCO -- In an exclusive MLB.com video interview, Giants slugger Barry Bonds recently reflected on his record-setting 2001 season when he passed Mark McGwire and established the single-season standard with 73 home runs.

During the course of the interview, Bonds spoke about what it meant to be pushed by his late father and former player, Bobby Bonds, and the impact his record homer pursuit had on a country that had only recently been rocked that year by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

No. 70, which tied McGwire, came in Houston on Oct. 4 and No. 71 came a day later in San Francisco.

Bonds finished his 20th season this past Sunday with 708 career homers, third on the all-time list, six behind Babe Ruth's 714 and 47 in arrears of Hank Aaron's 755.

"I happened to be doing something at a time when our country needed to come together and solve a situation that was at hand," Bonds said. "That was more important than what I was doing on the field. There were people losing lives. There were family members losing family members. It was a tragedy just like we are dealing with today [Hurricane Katrina].

"You're just appreciative of being able to bring a moment of joy to people at that time of crisis. But I'd take back all those home runs for that tragedy not to have happened. And that's the truth and that's from the bottom of my heart."

Bonds' father, who passed away from complications of cancer on Aug. 23, 2003, had a 14-year career, the first seven with the Giants. Later in life, the dad became a batting coach and inspiration to his son, who signed with the Giants as a free agent on Dec. 8, 1992, after playing seven seasons in Pittsburgh.

"I've been able to do things with my father's help that I never thought I could do," Bonds said. "Nothing made me more proud than for my dad never to say anything I couldn't be. And I know he did that on purpose because outside the ballpark and at home he was a whole different person. All I wanted to do was outperform him."

The interview was conducted early last month in Los Angeles as Bonds began his comeback from three surgeries in a three-month span on his arthritic right knee earlier this year. He missed the first 142 games of the season and ultimately played in 14 games, starting 13 of them and hitting five homers in his first 36 at-bats. At 41 now, Bonds has established records for walks and intentional walks -- both career and single season -- and single-season marks for on-base percentage, slugging percentage and homers.

"That 70 homers was just something ridiculous Mark McGwire did that year [1998]," Bonds said. "Realistically, no one in their right mind ever thought it would be caught up to. Seventy, I think, was the hardest one. I was almost thankful to Mark because he gave such a high goal for someone to reach. He put this high pedestal up there to look at and see if it was even possible."