NBA Finals Media Day Notes & Quotes Dump

[for both Warriors & Celtics +video]

The Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics finally both had Media Day for the NBA Finals at Chase Center. Below is a “core dump” of all the quotes that were all part of my general work flow of adding videos to our YouTube channel. As it turns out I actually did not use any of these quotes as there was plenty of other video work to be done. Without listing all of the players and coaches that have been made available over the past two days, we’ll start with the fun videos, then place the video of the interview in question at the top of each subsequent core dump of quotes.

UDOKA on BOSTON TRAVEL DAY

[No notes/quotes available.]

STEVE AT PRACTICE, DAY BEFORE MEDIA

DISCLAIMER: These are all just notes for my main workflow of YouTube videos, tweeted by beatwriters. I used to transcribe every interview but it became too tedious and not worth the investment for the small amount of views we got on the soundbites on YouTube. The links to the tweets are not available because sometimes I don’t use the full tweet and just having a ton of tweets on this website imo isn’t aesthetically pleasing and gets away from the main goal: transferring information (not so much entertainment) asap.

• Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala were all full participants in practice today. The Warriors didn't scrimmage but did half-court scout team work, offense/defense. Full contact practice tomorrow. Steve Kerr said team will know more on GP2/Iguodala/Otto post practice tomorrow: “It was definitely work that was ramped up. Seems like everybody got through it well, but we’ll know more tomorrow.” (Anthony Slater, Janie McCauley, John Dickinson)

• Kerr on GP2 shooting with his left hand: “He has extended his range over the last week or so.” (Dickinson)

• Kerr said GP2 has been “diligent and resilient” this season. GP2’s strong play means “he's put himself in a position where he's going to be able to dictate terms this summer, for the first time in his career.” (Kerith Burke)

• On the Celtics’ playoff experience: “They're an experienced team, been through a lot the last several years and it's really two very experienced teams going head to head.” (NBC Sports Boston)

• Kerr on the last meeting between the GSW and the Celtics and how he's using it to prepare for the NBA Finals: “That game was a really good indicator of how good Boston is defensively.” (NBC Sports Boston)

• Kerr on having the right mindset for the Finals: “There’s no such thing as appropriate fear in the Finals…If you don’t have it, then watch it on TV. Mic drop.” (me, NBCSBA)

• Kerr reminded me that Celtics coach Ime Udoka and Udoka's top assistant Will Hardy were both on Gregg Popovich's extended coaching staff, along with Kerr, on Team USA last summer in Japan. In the Olympics, the 3 front-of-the-bench coaches do all the pregame on-court work during the Games, so occasionally Kerr was the rebounder-and-passer for ... Jayson Tatum. (Tim Kawakami)

• Kerr on NBA Today: “Murdering children in their classroom has become a political issue. What are we doing? So let’s put pressure on the people that are making these decisions to act on our best interests..” (Malika Andrews)

DRAY AT PRACTICE, DAY BEFORE MEDIA

• Draymond Green on keeping the Warriors together: “Unless Andre retires, it’s looking pretty solid.” (95.7 The Game)

• Green on making All-Defensive Second Team: “For me, it's a slight. When I look at the First Team, I'm not sure I can pinpoint five guys who had a better defensive season than me…It makes absolutely no sense to say, ‘Well, he was a Second-Team All-Defensive player’…Definitely not five guys who had a better defensive season than me. There are no game requirements.” (Connor Letourneau, Dalton Johnson, John Dickinson)

• Draymond: "You have to embrace your path for what it is, and that's what [Jordan Poole] has done.” (Johnson)

• Green on Gary Payton II's possible return to the court in the NBA Finals: “If he is back, that’s a huge boost for us.” (Madeline Kenney)

• Draymond says this Finals run with Steph and Klay is different than 2015: “The difference in the journey now is we’re the veterans showing the way.” Green says when you look at the Warriors roster, only 5 out of 17 players have true playoff experience (conference finals, NBA finals). He says earlier in the season he was skeptical about the the lack of experience. (Dickinson, Mills)

• On the Celtics: “Marcus Smart is your real anchor on that defense... I definitely see some of that and that's a guy I have a lot of respect for,” calls Jayson Tatum “one of them guys.” (NBC Sports Boston)

• Green said he didn't necessarily make a prediction about who would win the ECF: “I think I just know a little bit about basketball… I just thought they (Celtics) were a better team and clearly I wasn’t that far off.” (Whitley Sandretto)

• “I definitely feel like I'm at the top of my powers, defensively.” (95.7 The Game)

• Green says he really wants the Warriors young players to walk away from this season with a championship ring. He says it takes a weight off your shoulders. Some players spend their entire career chasing a ring. When you check that box you can play more free. (Mills)

GP2 AT PRACTICE, DAY BEFORE MEDIA

• Gary Payton II on returning to play from his injured elbow: “We still got a lot of boxes to check off, hopefully that times come soon…going day-by-day…Starting to feel normal but still not me yet.” He says he not yet 100 percent himself yet but he’s getting closer. (Alex Espinoza, Ohm Youngmisuk, 95.7 The Game)

• Payton II on winning the Community Assist Award: “S/O Bam Bam…It’s dope. Not even for me” but to help those with dyslexia get the support and assessments they need. (CJ Holmes, Janie McCauley, Kerith Burke)

STEVE AT MEDIA DAY

• Gary Payton II, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. are questionable for Game 1 tomorrow, coach Steve Kerr said. “We'll see how they turn up tomorrow but it's a good sign all three had contact today," Kerr said. (Madeline Kenney)

• Kerr on teams hunting mismatches: "I'm glad they didn't have it when I was a player. That wouldn't have gone well for me." (Keith Smith)

• On the matchup: “What I like is it's two teams that are mostly built with patience and through the draft and development, player development and continuity. I think that's good for the sport.” (Anthony Slater)

• Kerr: "There’s a mystique that exists with the Celtics for sure. Incredible franchise, incredible history, and for me, having grown up watching those games and being a fan, it’s pretty cool to be coaching in the Finals against them.” (Taylor Snow)

• Kerr has compared Marcus Smart to a guard version of Draymond Grren: “He’s a great, great defender and probably an underrated offensive player as well.” (Jay King)

• Kerr says the Celtics and Warriors are similar in a lot of ways: “Gain more and more experience, then break through...It's going to be a hell of a series.” (Smith)

• Kerr agrees with Spo's comments on Boston's organic path to the Finals: "Traditionally, this is how it’s supposed to work in the NBA. You grow a team through the draft, you take your lumps in the playoffs, you climb up, and then you get to the Finals.” (Snow)

GP2 AT MEDIA DAY

• Gary Payton II on what fans should expect when he’s back on the court: “Hopefully you’ll get to see the old GP.” (CJ Holmes)

ANDRE AT MEDIA DAY

• Andre Iguodala says it’s really good to see African American coaches get a chance and a chance to stick. He credits Ty Lue as one of the most feared coaches who can succeed without having an analytical background. (Ohm Youngmisuk)

• Iguodala on his health: “Just trying to finish the season walking on two feet.” He said he’s “doing everything I need to do around the clock” so he can play in the Finals. (Mark Medina)

• Iguodala says he is “trying to finish the season walking” when asked how optimistic he feels about playing in the Finals. He says he is doing everything he can around the clock and calls it “an interesting year with my body.” He is doing everything he can to be ready. (Youngmisuk)

• Iguodala says it’s really good to see African American coaches get a chance and a chance to stick. He credits Ty Lue as one of the most feared coaches who can succeed without having an analytical background. Iguodala explained he would watch African American coaches who were former players get a shot earlier but if things didn’t work out, there was a negative narrative that kept them from getting another shot. Many of these coaches felt they had to be perfect first time around. (Youngmisuk)

• On Wiggins: “He’s one of those guys I’m happiest for… Anyone that's tried to have a knock-on him, he’s proved them all wrong.” (95.7 The Game)

DRAY AT MEDIA DAY

• Draymond Green on the Celtics: “You respect and admire that *everyone* is defending.” (Melissa Rohlin)

• Green on the Celtics defense: "You respect and admire that everyone is defending. Not a guy comes on the floor that isn't giving 110%. And you have to give a lot of credit to Ime (Udoka). They aren't that different from the team we've seen in years past." (Keith Smith, Mark Murphy)

• Green when asked what it takes to have repeated success like the Warriors have had: “I think keeping egos in check… what is ultimately in it for you is winning. When we win, we all eat as we like to say.” (Kylen Mills)

• Green said the Warriors “will to win” is part of the reason why they’re able to sustain success and make it to their sixth NBA Finals in eight years. (Madeline Kenney)

• Green on Marcus Smart: "I think he really thinks the game. You can see it the way he plays, the way he's teaching guys, the way he's commanding attention in huddles and going through the X's and O's in the huddles. You see it all. I think he does a great job of that…You can see it on the floor...And he's a great leader. And he's grown so much. It's been really good to watch." (Smith)

• Green on Boston’s defense: “You respect and admire that everyone is defending. There’s not a guy who comes on the floor that isn’t giving 110% on that side of the ball.” (Snow)

• Green: “You’ve got to give respect to Ime. That’s not a much different squad than we’ve seen the last few years … Yet, more has been required of them, and they’ve answered that bell.” (Snow)

• Draymond: “It wasn’t always like this, I remember walking around downtown Oakland and giving tickets away…Guys had to go on BART and give tickets away. I remember that…it wasn’t that long ago, a much less respected franchise but we were able to change that.” (Kenney)

• Green says early in the season he noticed Jonathan Kuminga always laughing at him. Green says Kuminga laughs at him cause he’s old: “Every time he walks by and sees me he starts laughing…He look at me like I may look at a 55-year-old man.” (Kylen Mills, Melissa Rohlin)

• On learning to relate Gen Z players, like 19-year-old Jonathan Kuminga: “That was part of the growth and understanding. Like he looks at me like how I might look at a 55-year-old man.” (KNBR)

• Green: "Marcus Smart — I think people tend to forget — Marcus Smart’s No. 1 attribute or positive coming out of the draft was his leadership. That he’s a winner, a true point guard. The qualities that he has, especially on [defense], are those of a leader.” (Nicole Yang)

• Green reflects on how far the Warriors have come since he arrived in 2012: “I knew that they had two guys who could really shoot the lights out of the ball… it was a young group looking to build…We just came in hungry and wanting to change that.” (95.7 The Game)

STEPH AT MEDIA DAY

• Stephen Curry on why this Finals run is different for the Warriors than others: "Just the context of the last four years. From Game 6 of the 2019 Finals to now." (Keith Smith)

• Curry says he expected to be drafted by the Knicks: "When I got drafted, I thought I was going to New York. I didn't even have Golden State on my radar…To see the evolution from that year to now, and the fact that 6 out of 8 years we've been in the Finals, it's crazy to think about for sure." (Smith, KNBR)

• Curry: “I think we still have a lot left in tank. That’s why we’re here.” (CJ Holmes)

• Curry: “It’s cool to be the old-head and pass that wisdom on to the younger guys.” (Holmes)

• Curry says he believed before the season that this Warriors team could win an NBA championship. All of the struggles of the last 2 seasons are so worth it: ““We got 4 more wins to make it all worth it. It’s a good feeling.” (Mills)

• Steph on being one of the “old heads” on the Warriors: “I try not to let my mind think about that too much… it’s is weird tho, you think about the age range of guys out there playing… I always ask (the young guys) them, what do y’all do when you go home?” (95.7 The Game)

• Curry shared his thoughts on Warriors going back to being drafted in 2009 and how far things have come since then: “It’s been an amazing run. Obviously we feel like we have a lot left in the tank, that’s why we’re here.” (95.7 The Game)

• On how he keeps his ego in check: “Appreciation and gratitude for everything that happens... keep building on that and usually good things happen because you appreciate everything no matter what happens.” (NBA PR)

KLAY AT MEDIA DAY

• Klay on the Celtics: “You've got to give that organization credit. It seems like Brown Tatum and Smart have been there for 10 years. We respect them and they present unique challenges to us, but it’s gonna be a dog fight. We know how physical and athletic they are.” (Gary Washburn, Jared Weiss, Jay King)

• Thompson on what gave him the confidence to proclaim “championship or bust” earlier this season and the what’s it mean to be here for the sixth time in eight years: “I made that observation because we started 18-2, that’s an incredible start and I wasn’t even in the lineup yet. I just envisioned all of the pieces of the puzzle together we can attain greatness.” (95.7 The Game)

• Thompson says his rookie year he never would have believed he’d be here now: “To be back for a 6th time it’s incredible. It’s incredible just saying that.” (Kylen Mills)

• On growing up a Lakers fan and says "I was watching them in college Game 7 at Staples (Center) with my dad in 2010. 20 years later, I get to play the team I was rooting against." Thompson called his welcome-to-the-NBA moment when he played against Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in his rookie year after watching them play LA in Finals. (Keith Smith, NBC Sports Boston)

• On Marcus Smart: “Guys who get the most out of their ability, you have respect for, and he continues to do that.” (Taylor Snow)

• “It's just an awesome job to be an NBA player…I'm going to enjoy every second of this, play as hard as I can and walk away with no regrets.” (Janie McCauley, NBCSBA)

• Does Klay think of himself as one of the old-heads on the Warriors now? “No.” Why not? “32 is very young in the big picture of life.” (95.7 The Game)

• Before Klay was drafted, he knew of the Warriors as a great NBA2K team. (NBCSBA)

• “We've got big goals. We want to complete the mission.” (Warriors TV)

• “A lot of us don’t look back on 2019 and 2016 with great reverence. We look back on it with a little more pain.” (Malika Andrews)

• Klay’s always known about The Bay's love for the game of basketball: “They've had so many great players out of Oakland, for such a small city, that you know they live and breathe basketball up here.” (KNBR)

JP, LOON AND WIGGS AT MEDIA DAY

• Jordan Poole: “The 15-win season that we had was a blessing in disguise, for sure.” (NBCSBA)

• Kevon Looney says the trio of Steph, Klay and Dray changed the game. (NBCSBA)

• Looney on Kuminga as compared to peak Iguodala or LeBron James: In the NBA everybody is athletic, but he's one of those different type of athletes.” (KNBR)

• Andrew Wiggins talks about how Steph, Klay and Draymond handle the pressures of being in the NBA Finals: “It comes to them easy. That’s because they’ve been here for so long.” (me via NBCSBA video)

• Wiggins on being in the Finals: “I’m just ready to play, for real. It’s something that you dream of as a kid. I’ve watched it my years in the NBA but never got a chance to be a part of it. Now that I’m a part of it, I’m just excited.” (95.7 The Game)

UDOKA AT MEDIA DAY

• Ime Udoka says that Marcus Smart’s rolled ankle will improve over time, but Rob Williams knee will continue to make him day to day throughout the Finals due to the surgery recovery & the bone bruise form colliding with Giannis. Both will be questionable for Game 1 of the Finals: “Marcus is different than Rob... Rob is a true day-to-day situation & Marcus' rolled ankle will get better as time goes…No concern. Swelling will dissipate as time goes by. The pain tolerance thing, he can obviously play through a lot, and he did that and played heavy minutes…Rob’s alright. He's good. He felt good. His minutes were low, only played 14 (Game 7). Tried to keep him in (low minutes) if we could. Beneficial for him going forward. He should feel better in general.” (Jared Weiss, NBC Sports Boston, Mark Murphy)

• Udoka says that Popovich “left a nice voicemail once we made it…He's helped me in my career and he understands the situation being through it so many times his self... I know he's supporting and we'll talk at some point.” (Taylor Snow, NBC Sports Boston)

• Udoka: "Once we get out there, I think what's really good about our group is that they're not caught up in the moment." (Keith Smith)

• Udoka says Marcus Smart and Al Horford are the main vocal leaders of the team, "but Jayson and Jaylen have really grown in that area and do it their own way. We love them for who they are and let them be who they are, and that mix in leadership styles benefits our team." (Taylor Snow)

ROBERT WILLIAMS AT MEDIA DAY

• Rob Williams on his knee injury: "I feel like the reduced minute helped... (the pain) is manageable and been getting in a routine of what I have to go through to play…Kind of been getting in a routine the past couple games, what I have to go through to have myself ready to play." (NBC Sports Boston, Taylor Snow)

• On receiving challenging words from Udoka: “I got a great relationship with coach Udoka... against the Bucks he said 'Stop letting mf’s run you over!”

• On Williams on taking more of a leadership role this season: "Being vocal on the court was never really my thing, but we had to step out of our comfort zone. I had to take on a different challenge, just being a guy on the back line, kind of quarterback style, seeing everything." (Snow)

JAYLEN BROWN AT MEDIA DAY

• Jaylen Brown on more black coaches getting hired by NBA teams: “If you’re asking me, I don’t understand what took so long to be honest. Of course,now, it’s a great thing to see…Overall, I think that’s an example of not just the NBA, but society as a whole, opportunity is important.” (Jared Weiss)

• On signing with Donda Sports (Kanye’s new agency): “It’s confirmed and it was signed…For what I want to do, the missions I want to get accomplished, it was the right decision.” (Weiss)

• On Boston's mid-season turnaround: "We play in a city where there's no excuses. We didn't make any. We got healthier, came together and the front office made some moves that made sense." (Keith Smith)

• On chatter around splitting up with Tatum: “We've been able to win in our career... we play in a city that has no patience for any excuses, so we didn't make any.” (NBC Sports Boston)

• Brown watched, learned and studied the Dubs while he was at Cal: “between Steph, Klay and Draymond, they’re probably the most winningest basketball players in this last ten years.” (me via NBCSBA video)

MARCUS SMART AT MEDIA DAY

• Marcus Smart: “The ankle is a pretty serious injury. I’m thankful to let alone play and still be walking. It hurt, but my mama always told me if you’re gonna play, you can’t make no excuses. 'If you're on the court, no excuses. Otherwise, sit your tail down.' So, I'm out here working…If I’m going to go out there, no matter how much pain I’m in, I can’t let it affect me.” (Jared Weiss, Keith Smith, Marc Spears)

• On if he agrees with the comparisons to Draymond Green: “I do. It’s an honor to be compared to a guy of Draymond’s caliber…I definitely take some notes on Draymond in the way that he leads and the way that he plays the game…That’s a great comparison. It’s an honor to be compared to a guy of Draymond’s caliber. Champion. Great leader. Great defender.” (Tim Bontemps, Jared Weiss, 95.7 The Game)

• On playing for the Celtics, teammates and leadership: “We play for a city that's very impatient & they have every right to be. The things they've accomplished it's kind of hard not to be impatient…We have a special bond outside of basketball and to be able to go to war with those guys makes that bond even stronger.” (NBC Sports Boston)

• Smart has a lot of respect for Steve Kerr: “the way that he thinks, the way that he things about the game, others (then references pregame interview pertaining to Uvalde).” (me via NBCSBA video)

JAYSON TATUM AT MEDIA DAY

• Jayson Tatum: "I walk in and see this backdrop and I'm like 'Damn. I'm in The Finals.'" (Keith Smith)

• On his relationship with Jaylen Brown and all the talk of splitting them up: "We're two young guys who want to win at all costs. That's made us closer, for sure. I don't want to say we want to prove people wrong, but we want to prove that we can win together." (Smith)

• On the Celtics pushing through their past struggles: “It can’t rain forever.” (Taylor Snow)

• On questioning his shortcomings: “I'll be honest, for myself, there have been times where I questioned, am I the right person to kind of lead a group like this. You know, never like doubted myself, but just moments after some of those losses and the tougher parts of the season.... but trust the work you put in. It can't rain forever.” (NBC Sports Boston, Mark Murphy)

GRANT WILLIAMS AT MEDIA DAY

• Grant Williams on rooting for the Warriors in 2014: “I remember where I was the first time they won it... it's kind of funny coming into this arena to play against a team that's still together.” (NBC Sports Boston)

• Williams was a huge Draymond fan and bragged about the Warriors’ 2015 title to his high school teammates: “I talked so much trash for a week.” (95.7 The Game)

• Williams says the Celtics are "built" for the way the Warriors play, hopes that he and the Celtics can do the same for college/high school kids, "where they can say that they remember the moment where you guys trumped the superteam dynasty of the Warriors." (NBC Sports Boston, Taylor Snow)

• On Udoka: "When you think of Ime, you think of the ultimate competitor in the sense of he's going to challenge you if you're soft, he's going to try to bait you into stuff, he's going to continue to bring that edge and be mad at you if you're not bringing it." (Taylor Snow)

• On Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge: "Brad did a phenomenal job, and Danny, thinking back to Danny constructing this team. Guys not only in the same age range but also have a lot of impact in the ways they play, can adapt to one another, and are great people." (Taylor Snow)

AL HORFORD, PAYTON PRITCHARD

• Al Horford on getting to the Finals for the first time in his career: “just still soaking everything in…Feels great to be here... being in the Finals it's something that's exciting.” (me via Mark Medina video, NBC Sports Boston)

• On Lakers coach Darvin Ham after working with him when Ham was an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks: “took me under his wing, actually along with Kenny Atkinson.” (me via Mark Medina video)

• On expectations after learning he would rejoin the Celtics: “Once the trade happened, I texted with Jayson a few times and told him I was looking forward to being in this position this season.” (NBC Sports Boston)

• Payton Pritchard on Al Horford: "His leadership alone has been unbelievable. Obviously he's done great things on the court – his defense, him knocking down threes – but his leadership has been the biggest thing, just that veteran presence. That's gone a long way." (Taylor Snow)

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