Gui Santos’ fiancée’s heartwarming tribute: “the boy from the village”
[+LAL-GSW videos/interviews/transcripts]
After Gui Santos signed his new extension, as mentioned in the previous post, his fiancée Julia Lawrenz took to IG for a heartwarming tribute, written in their native Portuguese. Here’s the translation:
For the boy who earned 150 reais a month.
For the boy who arrived an hour before everyone else to mop the dusty court.
For the boy who spent his entire salary to buy a ticket to see me.
For the boy who saved money to take me to eat sushi because he knew I liked it.
For the boy who had to learn a new language and culture from scratch on his own.
For the boy who ate bread with yogurt for lunch before going to practice.
For the “weak,” “slow” boy who “doesn’t know how to play American basketball.”
For the boy who thought about giving up but put on a smile and kept going.
For the boy who lights up wherever he goes. Who makes people smile, who has faith, and who has a heart of gold.
For the boy from the village.
Guizinho, my love, this achievement is yours. I tell everyone that I have never met an athlete as exceptional as you, and that is the greatest truth.
The best part is that this is just the beginning. I can’t wait to see what the next few years hold.
DUB NATION!! I CAN’T WAIT FOR WHAT’S TO COME! 💛💙
Postgame, Santos even said he tricked his parents, knowing that him calling them out of the blue to talk about “something serious” would make them think Lawrenz was pregnant (see video embed and transcription below).
Now, Gui mentioned having “a mini-Gui” or “more Guis”, so I’m guessing he’s leaning towards a boy for their firstborn, but ironically, LeBron James talked about having his daughter Zhuri come to the game to visit San Francisco, in contrast to raising two basketball boys, in a two-minute postgame locker room clip from Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
The Lakers-Warriors game was another chimney-building experience 🧱 so I’m debating whether or not to post my takeaways of the 129-101 blowout on here, but you can listen or watch the recap on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:
For example, is it really the defense as Steve Kerr said on the podium, or is it the offense aka my previously mentioned “lack of a bucket-getter” issue in the absence of three stars?
But yeah, that’s a discussion for another time. I’m more than happy remembering this game as the one where Gui gave a Freudian slip — he wants a boy, his fiancée is in love-love with him, and that’s all actually pretty cute. 🤗
I love turning losses into behind-the-scenes human situations where you end up rooting harder for your squad and everyone who wears its colors. That’s the whole point of Let’s Go Warriors!
Below are all the other topics from the postgame videos and transcripts, including Kerr, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, and Santos.
00:00 Gary, what do you feel like went wrong in that first quarter?
00:03 GARY PAYTON II, POSTGAME LAL-GSW: Early on it was just didn’t come out with our defensive pop that we needed to. The games when we do come out locked in defensively, we give ourself a shot late in the game, create extra possessions, force turnovers and we’re not going to outshoot everybody every night. And tonight they didn’t fall, so we really needed to rely on our getting stops and creating more possessions and we just didn’t do that.
00:31 How does it feel to see Gui get his extension, especially for a guy that’s worked so hard?
00:35 I do not have the words for that. Just smiles. Happy. Long overdue. He’s one of those connector guys that you need on the team to keep everything flowing, keep everything in order and I can’t express how excited and proud and deserving that is for my dawg, Gui.
00:57 Gary, you’re the third guy to come up here and say the difference was not being locked in defensively tonight. And kind of bigger picture, the difference between the quick starts and the slow starts, why? I mean, I guess what is the difference between being locked in and not locked in defensively and it seems like it’s a mental thing. Why isn’t that something that could happen every game?
01:15 Just consistency. We gotta do a better good job of being consistent on that end. No matter what happens on the offensive end, just come out, be locked in and that’s gonna be our only chance that we have to create more opportunities, more possessions, while our guys are out, KP and 30 and Jimmy. So if we can do that more times than none, it’ll be put us in a great spot later down the game to keep it close and just to make something happen. You guys are great. Enjoy your Saturday. Happy birthday, Monique. Love you.
—
01:51 Hey Gui, congratulations, number one, on the contract extension. Just how do you describe your emotions of that coming together today?
01:59 GUI SANTOS: Man, there’s a lot of things that comes in my mind when you see your work get rewarded. It was a lot of work since I got here through the G League even before playing in Brazil. All the resources that we have, there is not much and just to make to the league is a big, big thing, but even be able to get an extinction and the best organization in the world, that’s no words that can describe this feeling, especially when there’s a basketball, be a part of the Warriors, just play with Steph and all that, but one thing that’s really important for me is my family. And when you get the shirt that you’re gonna be able to help them for long, long, long years, so it’s just amazing. It’s a great feeling, man.
03:01 In your conversations with your agents and with the team, what was the decision making process like in terms of getting guaranteed money for a long term versus like hitting restricted free agency?
03:15 Right now when they offer me the deal and you look back, even if you look, like, how many second-round picks, like, late second-round picks got the chance just to extend it, you know? So I love the Warriors, I love the organization. I love the people here. All the strength coach, all the coach, all the physiotherapists, all the players, and everybody literally, like, everybody in this organization. It’s so special for me and just be able to be here for more three years, you know? And you get a — like I said, like, my family in a good spot and also just be around like guys like Steph and Draymond, like, Jimmy, it’s a special feeling. So that’s when I got the deal. I had no doubt about it.
04:08 And how did your family react to the news?
04:11 They were very excited, emotional. Like they, more than everybody, they know how tough it was for me to make here, so just to have them — the call that I told them, I was kind of serious, like, dad, mom I got something, like, serious to talk to you guys and they thought that I got my fiancee pregnant. So, no, but it — no, that’s another one. It’s, I got the extension and all of them was emotional and happy.
04:48 When you —
04:50 My bad.
04:54 When you reflect on your journey, are there lessons or moments that you think can be helpful for the next generation of Brazilian basketball players?
05:01 Yeah. Yeah, I’ve been in a spot that I was watching a lot of players in Brazil from Brazil in the NBA that was, I think, nine of them at some point playing in the league at the same time. Right now, I’m the only one here, so I’m the biggest example when you look to the basketball — when NBA, that is the biggest level that you can get, so everybody looking have me as a example. So for me, it’s just trying to be a great guy. He’s trying to be, like, show that the work ethic is the most important thing, you know? Because that was what got me here in this position. Steve, every all the time, it was like, Steve, what I can do to get on the court? That was a simple answer from him. Gui, just play hard as you can. Just go there and find Steph. That’s it. And I start doing that. Then I get some little bit more minutes and then with the Jimmy get hurt, that was big, big loss for us this season. That opened up a little bit more space for me so I can show a little bit more what I can do and do a little bit more than just be a energy guy. But overall, just be a good example for our kids in Brazil and show that if you work, you get what you deserve, you know?
06:30 Gui, Moses was talking about this a little bit, that obviously with your big stars, a lot of them are out, that the younger guys are in charge, well, not in charge, but obviously the role switches. Do you feel that and do you feel something happening that they can be developing, that this, you, younger guys, I’m talking Brandin, obviously, and Moses, yourself, maybe a few others, are formulating something now?
06:56 Yes, I can say that we doing that a little bit. You can see Moses might be one of the best shooters in the league right now. BP is a great play maker for us. I’m doing the kind of stuff that, trying to help the team, a little stuff and everything that I can to help the team, we creating something right now. So in the future we all want to play together, but at the same time, you still having Stephen, you know? So until the time that we have this guy for around us, we know that he’s the guy that gonna make the difference for us and he’s the guy that gonna change everything just for him to be allowed to step on a court, if just he step on a court. That’s a big difference for us, just confidence because everybody know that he’s there. All the other teams are so worried about him, so to guard him and the young guys can do a little bit more, more space, more freedom, we don’t have to create all the stuff. Steph just do some big work and we just do the easy work, but I think we are creating something for sure, but we still having Steph, Draymond and we still having Jimmy, so that’s a big squad that we gotta respect everything they have done in the league and with the Warriors.
08:11 When you called your parents and acted all serious, were you purposefully trying to trick them or where did you initially think that their head was gonna go with all that?
08:18 No, no. I was purposely doing that on purpose because when you got a call from your son and say, I got something really serious to talk about, they know my life was good. I was not doing nothing wrong. That was the only thing that could happen, like, oh, we got a mini Gui coming here so yeah, but that was just a joke and they were like, ah, okay, yes. But if there was the news for them, they would love it, too, but it’s kinda different.
08:45 Now you can afford it.
08:48 Yeah, I gotta — now I can get some more Guis. Alright, alright.
08:58 Walks off.
09:01 You just referred to yourself briefly as an energy guy and that’s what Kerr’s called you, obviously, so coming out in a game like this, when you needed energy, did you look around and see some of it was lacking tonight at the beginning of the game?
09:16 Yes, I would not say the energy, but our effort on defense, also. That’s a little bit off energy, but our effort on the defense was not the best games and when you gotta a guard Luka, LeBron, these guys are really tough to guard. And when you don’t really do your best effort on defense, it’s really tough to win a game like that, so I think that was the biggest thing that we didn’t do that was, that hurt us today.
00:00 How’d you kind of assess what went wrong tonight?
00:06 STEVE KERR, POSTGAME LAL-GSW: I thought they were great. They played a fantastic game. They came in here having lost three straight. They were locked in. And I thought getting off to the slow start hurt us because for us to win right now, it’s gotta be about energy and winning extra possessions, crashing, forcing turnovers and we just fell behind like that and they were playing with the lead the entire game and we just couldn’t climb back in it.
00:37 Steve, what is key for you guys to have faster starts because it seems like it’s been a clear theme recently, the slow starts versus fast starts?
00:44 Well, defensive mentality is the most important thing. We have to come out with some pop and some energy and at that end of the floor and just didn’t feel like we were as engaged defensively as we needed to be.
00:58 12-of-44 from three. What did you think of the looks you guys got?
01:05 We got some good looks. I mean, we took care of the ball tonight, 32 assists, 10 turnovers. It wasn’t like we played poorly. We shot poorly and, like I said, we never made a defensive stand in the game, so it was just — it was a night where they totally outplayed us.
01:27 Hey Steve, you’ve been a part of seasons where everything just seemed to go really right and you’ve been a part of seasons where everything just seemed to go really wrong. With all the challenges of this season, what has been your biggest challenge in terms of just trying to keep the ship on course?
01:43 I’m enjoying the season. Our guys are, tonight notwithstanding, our guys have competed and really done a good job of finding ways to win. And obviously tonight was not our night, but these guys are great. Our guys are really scrappy and they’re playing hard and they’re sticking together, so it’s a fun group to coach and we gotta kind of sweep this one away and get ready for Monday. We have a huge game Monday night.
02:20 Steve, I mean, these are the guys that you guys are gonna have to track down to avoid the Play-in, get to the 6th seed. It’s, I think, it’s four and a half games now. Is that still a realistic goal for you guys? Is that — ?
02:31 It’s a lot lot to make up with 22 games left. I don’t — we don’t even talk about it. It’s not anything that is worth discussing because we just have to try to go out and win and see what happens.
02:48 Any sense for how Will’s doing, how his ankle is?
02:50 He just told me he rolled it and when I talked to him just now in the locker room, it was taped up. I don’t know how bad it is.
02:57 Steve, so what changes most structurally when Draymond is on the floor versus when he’s out?
03:04 I’m sorry? I didn’t hear the question.
03:06 I mean, what changes most structurally when Draymond is on the floor versus when he’s out?
03:13 What changes the most when Draymond is on the floor versus off the floor?
03:16 Yes.
03:19 Well, I think at when he plays the 5 position at the center spot, we’re gonna have him set a lot of screens and roll and he’s more of a playmaking center. And then when we bring in Al at the 5, he’s more of a shooter pick-and-pop player, so they’re very different players, but Draymond, Draymond’s competitive desire and his brain is what is so important for us. He’s a genius defensively and his competitiveness is off the charts and that’s why we’ve won championships and had the the run that we’ve had. And not easy for him right now playing without Jimmy, without Steph, but I’m really impressed with just the way he’s hanging in there and then continuing to fight.
04:13 Steve, are the two-way guys gonna practice tomorrow or are they gonna play in that game here?
04:19 I’m not sure, yeah.
04:21 Steve, Steph was quoted during the game saying it’s gonna be a little while longer, as far as his prognosis. I know that you guys have an official update tomorrow, but has he been making progress on court recently?
04:33 So do you want an unofficial update?
04:35 Kind of, yeah.
04:39 Reevaluated tomorrow.
04:40 Okay.
04:40 I really don’t have much to to add, honestly, but we’ll give you a better one tomorrow. All right. Thanks.
—
04:51 First, Moses, what did you think the biggest issue was to — over here — what did you think the biggest issue was tonight?
05:01 MOSES MOODY: They hit a lot of shots and we didn’t. I think that that was, like, simple as it sounds. That was a big factor. They created a lot of shots, slowed us down and we were just a step slow.
05:16 On a different note, Gui got his extension today. What was his reaction in the locker room and what was your sort of the team’s reaction?
05:24 Yeah. Well, I mean, it happened when we weren’t in the locker room, so coming in I talked to him about it. It was cool. I mean, I don’t mean to sound like old head, but watching him kind of come in, work for it, not looking like it was a clear path to success, staying down, capitalizing on an opportunity, but not being overly ambitious, not being — but still working every day, but keeping this composure that he had throughout everything when it wasn’t looking good and then it started looking good and he’s being that same person is, it’s cool to watch. So that was a conversation I had with him this morning.
06:07 Moses, what’s the key for you guys to get off to fast starts?
06:13 I think it starts on the defensive end in intensity, getting things going, moving around, playing or moving around and ball movement, too. But I think the key to it in the beginning is aggressive, just setting the tone on the defensive end and then it translates to offense.
06:32 Was there a lack of that tonight? It feels like there’s been kind of a theme recently with you guys, as far as fast starts versus slow starts and continuing throughout the game.
06:41 Well, on that note specifically, it’s tough to speed up Luka and LeBron because they play so slow, so that kind of works to their advantage, in that sense.
06:52 Moses, you’re signed for a few more years now. Gui is signed for a few years. Brandin, maybe could be coming up. I know there’s been a lot of kind of comings and goings, but do you kind of feel that there’s a little bit of a core there that you got, guys that maybe will be here for several more years, maybe for a lot of more years?
07:12 Yeah, you feel that especially right now without superstars playing, other than Dray, that we’re building, just like any other young team in the NBA. That’s kind of the feel of the locker room of the team right now.
07:31 You guys have have seen it from your vantage point before. When you’re all healthy, what it’s like to have three or four star level players all playing well the same night, when they — tonight they had Doncic and James and Reaves all kind of going. What kind of problems does that create?
07:48 A lot. They was knocking down shots, creating shots for each other. They were clicking on all cylinders and our job is to hinder that, but yeah, they had a good night.
08:00 You mentioned Draymond being the only star that you guys have active right now. How have you seen him navigate these past few weeks without Steph and without Jimmy?
08:08 Yeah, it’s different. I mean, it’s no secret. Dray is a connecting piece and he’s played with some amazing players and he’s made them better, so it’s just a different situation for him playing with the all-young team and as we try to figure out the roles and everything, but he’s handled it well every night, just mentality-wise and trying to adjust his game to fit the way we — the way everybody’s playing right now. He’s in the process of it, so I’ve enjoyed watching him.
🫶💙💛