Latest / Bleacher Report / Kon Knueppel Responds to Cooper Flagg s Draft Reaction, Message from Klay Thompson _ Taylor Rooks X

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Kon Knueppel Responds to Cooper Flagg s Draft Reaction, Message from Klay Thompson _ Taylor Rooks X · Bleacher Report

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Con. It is so great to see you since New
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: York on the night you got drafted. I know you're
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: in Vegas right now. Are you smoldering? Is it hot?
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Taking me into how you're feeling.
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's incredibly hot here. It's we got here
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: on the sixth, so I believe it's now the fifteenth, sixteenth,
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: so it's a long time to be in Vegas. But
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: it's been a fun time for sure.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: And I mean soak in every moment because I was
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: just talking to my friend about this, and I'm just like,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: you are living a North Carolina storybook life right now,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: like obviously win to duke, then not moving too far
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: because now you're playing for the Hornets and your mom's
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: name is.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: Charlotte, I mean.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Meant to be. Does it feel that way like some
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: of this is just a little bit of destiny for Con.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's definitely really really cool, you know, being in
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: a spot you're kind ofailiar with. Having a teammate from
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: last year in Seon James is also really special. And
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: then I coincidentally, my little brothers had a tournament in
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: rock Hill, South Carolina, which is like thirty five minutes
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: from from Charlotte, and they were flying to Charlotte after
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: the draft anyway for a tournament, so we got we
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: gotta fly together it wash. That was really cool.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Yeah, oh that is so cool. I love that. Which,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: by the way, it was so cool to just see
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: your entire family there at the draft, to get to
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: do the interview with your brothers. It was just a
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: beautiful moment and I think for a lot of people
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: a reminder that a night like that is so much
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: of it is about your family being there to support
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: you to see your dream come true. So just congratulations
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: again on the moment, But also what did that What
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: did it feel like you think for them to be
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: able to watch you at Barclays go up there, shake
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: the Commissioner's hand and just live out your dream in
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: front of them.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Like, obviously it's a special moment for me, but
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: like you said, it's a special moment for our family
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: because it's a it's a lot of work that we
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: all put into it. All My brothers were at the
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: gym with me all the time. Every day. My parents
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: would come with us and and take us and and
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: really support us that way and get us on all
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: our to all our practices and all our games. So
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: it's just kind of a shared, a shared moment, which
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: makes it all all the all that much more better,
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: you know, like than just going up there by yourself
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: or accomplishing a dream, but sharing that with your with
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: your family.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: Is a special amazing I love it. Okay. So if
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: you can't say Draft night, what has been the most
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: surreal moment so far? The moment that said, oh, I'm
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: an NBA player.
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: Probably getting to uh the next day, so landing landing
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: in Charlotte and having like a nice welcome from all
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: the fans, and then going over for dinner and the owners,
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: owners there, GM, coaches there and having lunch. That that
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: was that was real cool. You felt like you were
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: part of that that team already. It only been twenty
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: four hours less than that. Even so that that whole,
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: that whole welcoming and then obviously like the first practice
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: and then getting out here for Summer League, those things
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: have been kind of eye opening.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: Okay. So take me into the first conversation that you
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: had with LaMelo Ball.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was actually at the lunch I'm talking about,
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: So this wasn't in person, I guess, but he texted
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: me and then he facetimed me. Then he was just
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: he was super excited. Uh, he's a funny he's a
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: funny guy. He's a good dude. I look, I look
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: forward to having more conversations. You know, we're we're not
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: around each other a bunch right now, but when we
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: get back and get to work in early August, it'll
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: it'll be great. We just saw him today working out
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: and getting a lift in, so you know, it's cool
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: when he's coming around, especially coming around the Summer League team.
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: It's cool to have that support.
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: So, before you were a member of the Hornets, how
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: did you evaluate LaMelo's game? What did you like about
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: his style? Of course, he's an incredible score. What did
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: you think about his game? And now that you are
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: a member of the team, how can you really compliment
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: him and help bring Charlotte to the next level.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, obviously, the Mela is a super super
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: talented player. You know, his ability to create shots for
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: himself off the dribble. I've always admired his passing, like
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: especially the creativity passes with and he seems like he's
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: a step ahead of the defense. So just being able
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: to space the floor for him, you know, get open,
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: give him some space to create, but also be a
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: guy that he can he can trust getting the ball
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: to and also a guy that's going to be looking
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: for him all the time.
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: I mean, of course, we know the Hornets have immense talent,
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: but what we don't necessarily know is when that talent
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: culminates into meaningful basketball playoff games, lots of wins. How
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: do you want to contribute to that? And do you
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: take that personally? You know that you're on a franchise
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: or people are wanting to see the potential meet itself
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: and sort of get out of this. I don't want
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: to say bottom layer of the league, but at least
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: rise into some of the talent that is around it.
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, obviously we're in a spot right now
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: where we don't want to be anymore. We want to
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: keep improving each year. You know, I take I know,
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: me and the other rookies and the guys on the
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: team right now, we take pride in wanting to get
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: better every day and then if you keep stacking days,
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: we'll eventually see improvement on the floor. But you know,
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: I think it's a from from owner on down. We
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: want to be an organization that can compete and can
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: contend in the playoffs. So just just bringing in some
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: of that culture and and and some of that the
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: winning ways, and hopefully we can we can keep nurturing
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: that with the Hornets.
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: You know, I'm curious for you, how does being a
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: top five pick in the draft shape your expectations? You know, obviously,
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: I know that athletes go by their own their own expectations.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: They aren't listening to the outside noise. But when it
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: comes to being a top pick, there are inherently expectations,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: which is why you are picked in the top What
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: do you believe that expectation to be.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: You know, I think it's from from the people in
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: the in the organization. You know, they want a guy
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: that's going to come in and work every day and
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: do do his best to get better. You know, have
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: some more like consistency and in and the guys playing,
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: you know, guys, guys being out there, and guy that's
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: going to be healthy like I've been healthy. Hopefully that
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: that continues. But you know, just just bringing that the stables,
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: the steady hand, you know, not making mistakes, playing mistake
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: free basketball. It's it's what I try to do. You know,
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: obviously every day just just keep getting better and and
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: hopefully can you can grow into a much better player
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: than I am. Now, what did.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: Being at Duke teach you about winning?
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean a Duke, that's kind of the only
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: the only thing. Like Vincelbari said, winning isn't the only thing,
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: but winning isn't everything, but it's the only thing. So
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: that's kind of the goal, and the coaches make it known,
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: and it's the buy in from every player on the
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  Speaker 2: team has to be there. So I think no learning
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: that every every player on a team is important and
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: we're all buying in for one goal. And so I
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: think that's that's the thing I took took away most
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: from Duke because we had that at a high level
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: this past season.
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: What did being at Duke teach you about losing?
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously we had some. Obviously early in the season
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: we had some big losses, close losses, and then at
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: the end of the season you have to end it
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: end your season ends in a loss, so you know,
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: it shows you the fragility and how hard it is
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: to win, like we the last game we played in
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  Speaker 2: the Final four, There's we had no business losing that
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: game and we lost, and that's something you have to
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: live with and you got to use it as motivation
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: to get better. And it's it's hard to not come
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: back with those same guys, but you have to carry
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: it personally onto the next step. And I've kind of
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: carried that with me with me here.
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, it probably doesn't mean much to hear
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: this because of how the season ended, but so much
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: talent on that team. It was so exciting watching you
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: all play, and I think that just through your college career,
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: you all just gained so many fans. It was clear
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: how close you all were to your point. There was
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: just such an immense level of teamwork and buying that
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: had to happen for Duke to, you know, even accomplish
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: going to the Final four. So even though you didn't win,
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: I mean it when I say it was just really
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: fun to watch you guys, And then it was really
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: fun for me at the draft. I was interviewing Cooper
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: Flagg the minute that you got drafted, and he had
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: the most wholesome reaction to hearing your name. He was
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: more excited to hear your name, I feel like, than
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: the fact that he had gone number one overall, I'm
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: curious if you saw that video and the emotions that
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: it brought out of you to see, you know, your
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: brother and teammate just be over the moon watch you
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: accomplish that.
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I saw the video. It's really special, you know,
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: because it extends behind just him just being my teammate
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: or whatever. Like he actually cares for me and wants
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: me to have success, and we feel that way about
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: each other. But to see someone so excited for someone
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: else's success, you don't see that all the time, and
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: that was that was really cool. I got a little
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: choked up when I saw for the first time. Yeah,
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: that was a special thing.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: What has that relationship and friendship meant to your life?
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: Man? It was leaving leaving to go to school, just
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: like any kid. It was. It was hard, especially with
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: having like having such a tight knit family. I was.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: I was pretty homesick at the start. So just being
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: able to like lean on that friendship and have him
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: and have obviously basketball, but but the way we played
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: on the court and and then what we could just
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: hang out after and and do whatever. It was was
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: a big support for me. Uh at kind of a
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: tough time when I was when I was missing my family.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: So I nothing good but good things to say about Cooper.
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: He's a real special dude.
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: I love it. The bond is so clear, Uh, Cooper
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: Flag good roommate, messy roommate, loud roommate, great roommate. Tell
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: give me this scouting report on Cooper as a roommate.
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: He was great. I the only the only time he
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: was louder when his when his brother Hunter and an
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: Ace would come over and there I came over once
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: in Ace was just chilling in my bed. So the
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: only complaints what I'd have, but it was about those guys.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: I have nothing to bad to say about Cooper.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: I love that. Okay, not not to you know, revisit
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: the loss, but I do think it is interesting because
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: even when you talk about losing in the final four,
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: I can tell the emotions are still a little bit there.
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: How often do you think about that game?
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: I told my assistant coach, like the night of we're
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: getting off the elevator, I was like, I'll never forget
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: that for the rest of my life, Like I'll have
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: to do like live with that, because you know, I
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: don't have another chance to like redeem redeem that. I
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: think about it a couple times a week still now,
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: so I don't get I don't get as mad or
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: have emotions about it as much, but I'll just think
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: about Matt, I would have been I would have been
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: sweet if you would pull that one out.
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: No, for sure. Yeah, I always have this debate with
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: my friends. I'm interested in, you know, as somebody who
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: is fresh off of the NCAA circuit, your thoughts on this.
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: Does the tournament and I mean generally just generally, in
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: all the years of the tournament, do you think that
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: it proves who is the best team in college basketball?
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: Or do you think it proves the team that can
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: survive on a given night, because those two things aren't
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: the same.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Like, I don't think like in the NBA, it's
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: seven games, seven game series, so typically the best team
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: is gonna win four games out of seven. I think
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: there's more room for, you know, a team to just
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: have a bad night in the NCAA tournament. But with
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: that being said, I do think, you know, winning six
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: games in a row at the highest let like, that's
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: that's really tough to do. So I think it's a
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: pretty good track record of the best team winning.
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, okay, fair, I'll take it, and I agree.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: I think that it evens out, you know, like maybe
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: some year you might not get that, but the majority
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: of the time you get that. At at minimum. The
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: final four tends to be the top four teams, you know,
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: and maybe that one isn't the one who wins, but
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: for all intents and purposes, there is some balance there.
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: I want to talk to you about your shooting. Obviously,
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: you are known to be an incredible shooter. You shot
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: a little over forty percent from three years of freshman
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: almost forty eight percent from the field. Being a shooter,
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: of course, is the most coveted thing that you can
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: be in the NBA. How do you go from being
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: a really good shooter to a great shooter?
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: I think just adding adding different ways to get your
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: shot off. Like I started as a good shooter, like
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: I was really good catch and shoot, which I which
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: I still am in high school, and then finding ways
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: like all right, how I'm going to be a better
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: mid range shooter or better off the gurbbil shooter. That's
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: That's what I'm I'm working on now, or I'm better
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: off the move. So just finding different ways to get
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: your shot off and then becoming great at each of
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: those those ways. How you become or becoming good at
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: each of the those ways is how you become a
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: great shooter.
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: Yeah. I feel like there was a lot of focus
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: on you as an off the dribble shooter around the draft,
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: but I also think that there wasn't a super large
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: sample size of you doing that at Duke. Do you
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: think that there is a misconception of the kind of
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: shooter that you can be. Do you think it is
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: fair to be judged off of those numbers when you
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: were at Duke? What's your take on that.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think it's fair. I've been
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: pretty honest about it, Like, I don't think I was
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: a very good off the dribble shooter just because it
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: was something like in high school, I never really really
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: shot them very often. So it's something I'm becoming more
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: and more comfortable with, something I'm working on all the time,
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: and so I feel like I'm getting to a point
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: now where I'm feeling very comfortable off the dribble from
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: especially from three, Like I feel pretty comfortable in the
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: mid range off the dribble, but it's definitely from the
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: three point range where I'm striving to make the most improvement.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: So growing up and being in NBA fan, tell me
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: who you watched and said, all right, I love how
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: they play the game, and this is the kind of
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: shooter I can be, or at least hope to be.
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: Well.
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: Been from Milwaukee, I was a big Bucks fan, so
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: watching Middleton, you know, because he's he's a really dangerous
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: mid range score, which I always loved his turnaround, fade
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: away and then just his his three point shot was
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: always fluid. He could do it off the catch, off
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: the bounce, so I always he was one of my
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: favorite players, so I always looked up to him. And
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: then you know, I feel like every person that shoots
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: the ball really idolizes Clay just because his his mechanics
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: are perfect, his bass is always the same, and his shit,
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: I mean it, just his shot is so pretty.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: I love that. I just sent you a message if
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: you don't mind opening it and listening to that message.
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: For me, Oh man, what's up?
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: Con heard your interviewing with Taylor today. She's one of
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: the best in the industry, so you're in great hands,
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: you know. I know she canna be asking the good stuff,
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: but just wanted to wish you well and thanks for
• 17:24
  Speaker 3: the words. Of trying to model your game after me
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: makes me feel kind of old, but also very appreciative
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: of great young athletes like yourself who are coming to
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: take over the league and carry on the torch of
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: what we started and what you and Cooper did last
• 17:40
  Speaker 3: season and the rest of the guys. Incredible run, especially
• 17:44
  Speaker 3: for a bunch of freshmen. That's unheard of. Really some
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: fab five stuff. I'm just excited for your next chapter
• 17:50
  Speaker 3: in the league. Never lose that confidence that got you here,
• 17:53
  Speaker 3: especially when shooting the basketball. And I heard you aspire
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: to be a two way player, and that's my I
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: prided myself on for a long time. And I can
• 18:01
  Speaker 3: still guard now. I don't think my days of guarding
• 18:04
  Speaker 3: are long gone. I can still get out there and
• 18:05
  Speaker 3: switch on a point guard before man if I have to.
• 18:09
  Speaker 3: But enjoy your rookie year as much as you can,
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: because it will go by fast. So you can blink
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: an eye.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: So be well, brother, that's awesome.
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: So what's that like? Clay is somebody that you grew
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: up idolizing as a shooter, and now you get to
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: hear him give you your flowers what does that moment
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: feel like?
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: That's pretty cool. Yeah, I love that he talked about
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: because I think I mentioned that he used to be
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: a better defender than he is now, So I love
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: that he still is, like, yeah, I can still guard man.
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: That's awesome. But I just remember it because he played
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: for Tony Bennett in college and I was recruited by
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: Tony Bennett. So I just remember them always showing clips
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: of Clay and so that's kind of cool how that
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: comes full circle.
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, what do you think you most took from Clay's shot?
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: I just think the bass, Like he's a he's a
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: pretty wide base. So I when I, you know, I
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: try to try to have my feet that they're not
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: Your feet aren't always going to be in like the
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: right same spot, but having your having your base, uh set,
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: makes your shoulders set. And he has like a sometimes
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: he has more of a wide base just based on
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: how he's you know, coming off a screen or maybe
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: he's like flaring to the corner. So that's that's something
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: that I that took away.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: One thing that he spoke about there, and it is
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: of course one of the defining characteristics of who Clay's
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: as a player is always having confidence in your shot,
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: and that if you want to be a great shooter,
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: that can absolutely never waiver when your shots aren't falling,
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: when you aren't playing exactly how you want to play,
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: how do you continue to maintain that confidence that is
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: necessary to be who you want to be in this league?
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, sometimes the SHOT's not going to go in,
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: and there's there's a lot of areas in basketball to
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: impact a game, So I try to focus on those
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: areas when my shots not falling, I'm still gonna take
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: every shot that I can that I can get that's open,
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: that's a good look for us, But that's I'm gonna
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: chip in, get some more rebounds, or I'm gonna make
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: sure my guy's not scoring. I'm defending, defending a high
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: level or making place for my teammates. You know, I
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: think people tend to associate missing shots and and having
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: a bad game. And something my dad always said was, oh,
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: you didn't have a bad game, you just shot bad.
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: You played well, but you shot bad. So trying to
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: take that and remember that all the time when I play.
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: That is such a good perspective and way to look
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: at it. That you know, there are other ways to
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: impact the game, to impact winning. And I also think
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: this is very relevant coming off of the summer leagues
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: that you've had. Of the summer league games that you've had,
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: of course, you struggled a bit to find that shot
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: during your debut five points one freight from the floor,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: over five from the perimeter, but you very much so
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: bounced back, bounced back, picked it up and meeting in
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: the next game, scoring sixteen points on five for ten shooting,
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: but also ten rebounds for assists. What did you change
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: or tweak between those games, if anything, or if it
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: was really just you getting into your rhythm.
• 21:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and then I mean I missed three free throws
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: in the first game as well, so it's just kind
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: of like a full like oh man, shots not going
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: in today. But yeah, I think I tried to fix
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: just like my mindset a little bit. I wanted to
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: be a little more aggressive the next game, aggressive looking
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: for my own shot, but also aggressive to make a play,
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: aggressive to go get a rebound. Something that I learned
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: is if you get a couple of rebounds, you get
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: yourself going into the game. You feel for the ball,
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: just to feel for the game in general, and kind
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: of gets you going a little bit. So I try
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: to focus on, you know, just going and crashing the
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: boards as hard as I could.
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: I'm sure throughout your life is just an NBA fan
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: and basketball consumer. You know, you watch Summer League, you
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: hear the overreactions about different players. What is it like
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: now being on that side where you are the guy
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: everyone is overreacting about until the next game.
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, you know, obviously as a player, like
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: nobody wants to play better than than I do, Like
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: I want to play well. Nobody wants me to play
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: well more than I do. And you know, it's like
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: funny seeing other guys like Cooper shot it bad as
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: first game, Like, oh man, Cooper can't shoot. Did you
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: watch the guy play? It's you know, it's it's funny.
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: But you gotta you gotta love the fans. You know,
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: they care so much, and there's I've been in that
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: position where it's like, oh man, this guy's awesome because
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: of one Summer League game. So just having that having
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: that as a fan, like knowing like I love basketball
• 23:08
  Speaker 2: and I loved watching Summer League growing up, and I
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: would have those same thoughts, it kind of helps you
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: as a player, because you know, those things don't don't
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: really matter.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: You have a really positive and I think strong outlook
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: on just life and yourself. You are very mature, I
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: would say, for your age, which I'm sure comes from
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: being the oldest of five brothers. How do you think
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: that that role has really prepared you for the life
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: that you live right now?
• 23:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it. I think it's it really helped me,
• 23:44
  Speaker 2: you know, being sort of an example for my brothers.
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: My parents wanted me to be that, and not anything
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: to do with like basketball skill or talent or anything,
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: but just being a nice guy, being confident yourself, but
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: also being having the humility, you know, to treat other
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: people well. And so I think my parents did a
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: really really good job and it put me in a
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: good spot here. And you know, obviously I'm still really
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: really young and now I'm going to be living on
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: my own, but I think I got to my parents
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: helped straighten me out a little bit, and I think
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: I'm ready for it.
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I love that. I mean, they did a great job.
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: It's always a good, good time chatting with you. Just
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: a few more that I have for you. I watched
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: a video where you're talking about something super interesting and
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: I think important for really any basketball player. You were
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: talking about your patients and why you always try your
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: best to focus on playing off of two feet. Explain
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: why that's important for you and how it helps balance
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: out maybe athleticism gaps.
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, you know, it's something I've always kind
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: of done going into the rim. You know, like coach,
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: a high school coach should always say, like, especially in college,
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: they'd always say, like, going off two feet, you're stronger.
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: It's some would say it's just like it's the safer play.
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: But I also just think when you get to a
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: spot off two, the defender doesn't like, like if you're
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: going off one, the defender can kind of knows where
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: you're going. When you get to one off two, you
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: can like pivot this way, you can shot fake spin back,
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: you can use either foot to pivot, so they're still
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: kind of guessing. And for a guy like me who's
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: not super athletic, which is maybe generous, that that really
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: is an advantage. You know, it evens out the athleticism
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: on the floor, and so it makes it easier to
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: get to get looks off too, and to score in
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: areas that are congested.
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: I love that. So who is it that not even
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: that you want, but in the league right now, who
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: are some guys you think just do a fantastic job
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: of bridging that. Okay, maybe where they are having a
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: shortcoming and being an athlete, they have these other ways
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: to maybe out smart or get advantages. Like Jalen Brunson,
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: for me, is a guy that comes to mind.
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: He's probably the best. And you know, like when he
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: was at Villanova, like they play, they like post him,
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: you know, so he still posts up a ton. He's
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: a six to one guard. He's probably the best. I mean,
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: Lucas unbelievable. And then Luca's huge too, so he's I mean,
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: he's like unguardable. Jimmy Butler is really good, especially at
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: utilizing the shop ake off too, get into the free
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: throw line. But yeah, those three guys coming to mind
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: for sure.
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: Very nice. All right, a few more for you, You,
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: of course, are continuing continuing a very long tradition of
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: Duke's success. It is mind blowing to me and just
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: speaks to what the program does. The fact that the
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: entire starting five was drafted what made not just that
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: group so special, but what is it about being at
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: Duke that just continues to breed this greatness year after year.
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: I think it has everything to do with the culture.
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: You know. I think most people when they go to college,
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: they're they're looking at, you know, how am I gonna
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: get off? Like, how am I going to be able to?
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: Am I gonna be the guy's taking all the shots?
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: Am I going to be like the number one option
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: or whatever? And when you go to Duke, you're choosing
• 27:42
  Speaker 2: the hard path, and I think that makes you better.
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: Like I chose to go. I could have went somewhere
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: else and you know, probably been the number one guy,
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: but going to Duke was going to be hard. I
• 27:53
  Speaker 2: was going to go against really good players every day
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: in practice. But I knew that would make me better.
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: And then when everybody buys into that, everybody eats, you know,
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: everybody benefits from that. And so we have five guys
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: that got drafted in the NBA. Yeah, and so that's
• 28:11
  Speaker 2: that's just a really cool thing.
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: I love that, and you're all so happy for one another.
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: It's really beautiful. Okay, tell me your dream jersey swap
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: in the NBA? Who you looking for post game? Come October?
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: Oh Man, I mean, I think one of them with
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: with one of my boys from Duke, like Cooper. Come on, Tyrese,
• 28:38
  Speaker 2: that would be really special. So we'll have to make
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: that happen for sure, dream one like maybe Chris Middleton
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: maybe maybe be honest, I don't know, that would be
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: that would be way up there.
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: I love that. I gotta get some Milwaukee love. That
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: is amazing. Okay, So Clay, of course, is gonna ask
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: me what you thought about his video. Tell me what
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: it is you would like to say to Clay Thompson
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: so that I can relay that message.
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: Oh that he's just well, I love I don't know
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: if I should say that. I love the when he
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: did the big Ball celebration. Tell him that because that
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: was awesome, because that's what he has. He's got cajones.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: He'll love that.
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, uh, but just tell me he's the best
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: off ball mover ever. He's better than stuff in my opinion, he'll.
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: Get a big kick out of that. You mean that,
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: Do you feel that way when you watch them?
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah? I feel that way. Yep.
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah, tell me more.
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: Tell him that people don't realize how good like People
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: don't realize how good of a defender. He was like,
• 30:05
  Speaker 2: I guess you don't have to tell him. He knows that,
• 30:08
  Speaker 2: but like people don't realize how good of a defender
• 30:09
  Speaker 2: Klay Thompson was, and like the finals, in the playoffs,
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: all the guys he's guarding, Like that's just kind of
• 30:15
  Speaker 2: like already become forgotten part of what he brought to
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: the game. And so that there's there's still people out
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: there that remember him him d ing up.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: I love that he will, he will love that. You
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: are a pleasure. I ask every single person this to
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: in the interview, tell me who has been your biggest
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: assist off the.
• 30:37
  Speaker 2: Court, biggest assist off the court or my mom? She
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: just helped support me and you know she's always always
• 30:53
  Speaker 2: helped me get better. And you know, she being her
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: hooper herself, she understands how I'm poortant that is, and
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: how impoor and basketball is to me.
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: So yeah, she's just the best, beautiful answer. Shout out
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: to moms. Con I never take it for granted that
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: I get to be there on the day that many
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: of you fulfill your dream, your lifelong dream, what you
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: have worked for us for as long as you can remember,
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: I'm sure. So being there then and being able to
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: talk to you today. I am so excited to watch
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: you have a long and successful NBA career, and I
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: am so thankful that you took some time to chat
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: with me today. Great to see you, Yeah, good to
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: see you.
• 31:38
  Speaker 2: Thanks for having me.
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: Absolutely until next time.