All-Star Interview Initial Reaction: Initial Reaction

All-Star Interview Initial Reaction: Initial Reaction

So Paulo we kind of just talked about it just now but like walk me through those emotions that you were feeling just a second ago with your team yeah it was it was a lot going on uh you know everybody rushing to just get to one room to watch

Uh but yeah I was just super super excited uh hopefully to or I was hopeful to hear my name called and then once it was called it was uh just all joy and excitement did you you kind of talked a little bit just now you you thought like

You were going to be the last pick yeah no I I was watching the we were watching the uh west shows on the bus and I told uh Joel I was watching off his phone I was like they’re going to announce me last but ended up being the case I

Didn’t want it to go that way but I had a feeling it was going to go that way but I can’t complain man I’m just happy that I’m allar what did it mean to have your team around you cuz sometimes you know it can feel like maybe I should do

This alone maybe I should do this with everyone but to have them here to celebrate with your team what did that mean for you yeah I wouldn’t want it any other way you know especially on the road like this um just us being together um you know just coming back you know

Fresh Out fresh out of practice and just getting a chance to all experience that together was was huge you know that’s just that’s how it’s been since I got here is everybody been together um they embraced me you know from the second I got drafted you know felt like a family

From day one so just you know didn’t want to do it any other way you just said with the word Allstar how does it feel to kind of see that yourself and say that out loud now it’s crazy I’m I’m sure it’s gonna hit me maybe a little

Bit later or something but or maybe when I actually in the game but it’s just it’s crazy uh it’s been a dream for a long time so I’m just happy that um I accomplished it and you know I I’m yeah I don’t really know what else to say man

I’m just happy and proud to know that you were a rookie other year last year you get to accomplish allar this year I mean it seems like these are the stepping stones and the building blocks you’ve wanted to accomplish in your journey to see it to come into fruition

Right now I mean you could say it’s crazy but like it seems like this is the plan you’re following your plan your journey yeah no exactly but that’s just what makes it you know crazy to me you know cuz two three years ago you set these goals and then when you start to

Knock them off one by one and you just work and that’s what you’re working for you know in the off seasons and the time the downtime you have like that’s all you’re thinking about and so when you actually see it come true and you accomplish it um it just makes you even

You know more um proud of yourself but also just wanting more and just want to set more goals but I’m uh I’m this is this is a big one I’ll say I think this is probably right behind um getting drafted for sure um this is like yeah it’s unexplainable right now um just

Being an Allstar like it’s the best league in the world I’ve been watching the NBA my whole life so yeah I’m just happy that I got a chance to experience this you think you’re going to call your dad and your mom next and talk to them

Yeah I’m going to call a couple people call a couple people you know this is Monumental I would say you know just it’s one thing to get drafted to the NBA but um to be an Allstar um you know this soon kind I mean it feels like I just

Was in high school like so just looking back on it um it’s uh it’s special for sure yeah it’s not common for someone your age and in their second year to be named an All-Star obviously you talked before about the tra trajectory maybe you know going from here but do you kind

Of feel like this is the perfect stepping stone where you can say that you’re 21 you’re an All-Star not many guys have been 21 and an All-Star in their second year do you feel like it’s just kind of giving you more motivation going forward yeah for sure I think um

Like I said earlier like every time I achieve a goal that I said I feel like it just um you know catapults me into the next the next goal and what I want to accomplish after that um I think like this summer you know I I looked at you

Know some guys who won Rookie of the Year and then like what their second years is in the NBA looked like and um you know there was some guys who really took a a big jump in their second year and all guys who you know I want to be

In the same same level as so I knew that you know my second year I wanted to improve in every aspect and and just become a much better player in a household name and uh I think I’ve gotten closer to that this year and being an All-Star is is one I think

Validation a lot of Allstars come from winning teams do you in some ways feel like this is just as much a team honor as is an individual honor 100% 100% that’s what I told you know the guys after was just like you know it’s been a

Journey since I got here um and before I got here and so you know we’ve had a lot more success this year and you know we’re just all going to continue to get you know what what whatever it is that we want whatever goals that we have you

Know we can reach them um as long as we stick together and you know do what’s best for the team and win as many games as as we can I think everyone’s going to get you know what they deserve

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