TBU Podcast | Ep. 32 – Welcoming the Newest Additions | OKC Thunder

TBU Podcast | Ep. 32 – Welcoming the Newest Additions | OKC Thunder

welcome into the Thunder basketball Universe this is such an exciting day we are coming to you live from the Oklahoma City Contemporary Art Center in downtown OKC this is the site of the Thunders introductory draft press conference so we get a chance to talk to all of the Thunder draft picks this season starting with the one and only Nica topic who is joining us now Nia welcome to Oklahoma City I see you already have the Thunder uniform on how’s that feel right now amazing unreal unreal an NBA jersey I mean this has got to be a lifelong dream yeah sure one of my childhood dreams they just incredible yeah well we’re talking about the jersey number 44 is there a story behind the number no not really okay not true and uh you know just as you uh as you’ve gotten here you’re you’re trying to pick out your threads I know you’re probably staying in a hotel or something right now what are some like first things for you of like this is what I need to do to get myself ready to be here and be living here uh rest obiously after yeah after this two days draft uh airplanes interviews and all that stuff traveling from Team to team just I use those two days as a rest and now I want to explore the city explore the people culture food and everything so yeah I’m ready ready to go you mentioned in your press conference that you got a chance to go to the arena actually inside pay Center look around what was that like getting a chance to walk in there for the first time I mean it was great obviously uh when I was younger I watch Like KD Russ uh Harden and all of that later CP3 uh Paul George mow playing this Arena it’s electric in during the playoffs and really wanted to experience that I can go through an NBA arena and see the locker room see the offices see how everything works here so I mean it’s it’s really incredible you’re going to get a whole year of doing that also and something that really benefited Chad holgren when he had a year a guy in Nick Collison who’s a longtime member of the organization as well uh understanding that you are probably most likely going to have an entire year to just learn the NBA um how beneficial do you think that will be for you moving forward when you you know turn 19 and 20 yeah for sure for sure that has uh bad things and good things but I think think it’s more positive and good things there than it’s uh negative so I always try to look not just this situation any situation in life I try to look at a positive way and this one too so obviously it’s bad that I’m going to miss the season but uh that have some benefits that I’ll be uh preparing one year for an NBA with just uh lifting weights uh nutrition so I’m looking forward to it and I’m sure I’ll be uh healthy and more ready than in a year uh to start playing uh full power than than now it it might not seem like it and just want to remind our viewers you’re 18 years old you sound so mature it’s kind of hard to remember that but as an 18-year- old as a young guy joining a relatively young team in the NBA how does that feel for you knowing you’ll you’ll probably be able to relate to these guys pretty well yeah I mean that’s great uh in in previous teams I didn’t uh have much uh players like my age uh so they were much older with kids with wives so they didn’t they didn’t like had that time to spend yeah that I have uh so that would be for sure one of the probably best things here that we were able to to spend time together off the court and to meet to share share thoughts share uh everything you played in the Euro league you played in The Adriatic League obviously being from from Serbia there’s there’s obviously something in the water in Serbia these days because so many incredible basketball players coming out of there what what’s going on do you do you have any idea they always say that Serb is basketball country yeah really yeah since since way before so I think that they’re just it it good good program and good good youth categories uh good uh clubs uh good coaches working on fundamentals on everything uh so yeah I think basically good good program were there Serbian players that you really looked up to when you were a kid of course Milich is one for sure I mean I had a chance to play with him last year and to meet him and that was uh incredible to me I was watching him in uh national team how he fought there in tes mosow then in NBA league so uh it was really a pleasure to meet him and not just him uh every every player on that team uh mitro lazic our captain these are just so incredible I met them a long time ago but now we really got to spend time together to practice to to chat with each other to travel so so it’s been it’s been a great experience and I’m really really grateful for that speaking of Serbia being basketball country we know that your dad also very very well versed in Serbia and basketball for those who might not know what role did he play in your basketball Journey yeah he was a very important role in my basketball journey I mean he taught me basically everything I knew of basketball uh she shared he shared that love of basketball uh to me and since young age there was always a basketball in our house I was kicking it shooting it always a hoop always uh that kind of stuff so so yeah he’s been a very big part of all of this and I owe him owe him a lot of gratitude well clearly got you very far you’re here in a thunder uniform with us today we are so looking forward to the day we get to see see you out there on the floor welcome to Oklahoma City thank you very much thank so much appreciate it all right we are now joined by none other than Dylan Jones Dylan when when we first saw you out there you weren’t wearing a thunder uniform you were wearing a suit now you’re in this thunder uniform I can only imagine a dream come true what’s what’s going through your head right now uh you know it’s a great feeling obviously um this whole thing honestly doesn’t even feel real in a lot of ways but um you know I’m excited exed to be here and I’m thankful to you know be wearing this jersey and things like that so um thankful to be here and can’t wait to get started jersey number three any story behind that and just you know how does it feel to be you know able to take a picture of yourself send it to your you know family and friends and say I’ve got a real NBA jersey right yeah uh three is the number three is really important in my family you know my our brother’s best friend uh my brother wears a number 33 uh he passed away um when he was in high school and my brother wore that number to honor him and um when I seen the number three available uh understanding what that number meant to you know everyone where I’m from and um they everyone knows why I got the number and uh it’s a dope feeling to be able to you know display it on the NBA floor and um you know you might as well have a meaning behind it when you get a number right so um you know I’m thankful to have it and it was crazy that it was available but you know I’m thankful to have it speaking of your brother someone that you mentioned in the in the press conference who seemed to play a massive role your basketball journey and also also your life can you speak to kind of how he was able to kind of shape where you are today yes um you know growing up you know he’s eight years older than me so when I was you know just getting to high school and you know ending middle school and things like that he was just you know his professional career was really like starting and um he was so influential just because of the things that he did and the path that he went on it just made my path and things so much easier cuz I was able to learn from his decisions and you know how he went about things and the things he was learning um in a lot of ways I was a sounding board for him you know as he was going through you know the different ups and downs of you know playing in Europe and different situations agents things like that he was you know teaching me but he was also like so like when I’m in this position I know like how to go about different things and things like that and um you know in a lot of cases you know as we see now like you know the older brother I mean the little brother is sometimes better than the bigger brother just because of the you know not nothing to do with talent but just because of the lessons and the way they’re able to go about their stuff and um that’s why you know I always preach his name CU I know without him I wouldn’t be here so I just you know very thankful for him he he helped you prepare for so many different things that were thrown your way one of those was the Thunder having deep interest in you for a long time now can you maybe shed some light on maybe that backstory of the relationship between uh you and the thunderf front office yeah um so when I was going through the process last year and things like that it was just a you know it happened so fast for me in a lot of ways but you know they were one of the first organizations that been following me for a while and um from a scouting perspective and going through the process meeting different teams like you know this pre-draft process I did like 20 workouts no one’s as intentional you know as them you know I it’s I I haven’t I didn’t run across any organization that’s as serious and as not the interest in me was there obviously but just how they go about their business how you know I had people back home calling me like yo the Thunder just like asked me about you and it was like a a you know a old teacher from like who knows when stuff like that and uh they really did their homework on things like that but uh I think that’s where it it started and um that level of interest you know for you know I can’t I don’t know why they’re that interested in me but you know I think what I bring to the table you know and you know my unique style of play is like something that they really you know favor you know and um while other people may have a bunch of questions you know that’s those the type of players they almost love to have so it makes sense in a lot of ways and um yeah that’s how it all kind of went down speaking of your unique style of play they called you do it all DJ at weer State clearly a lot of Versatility out there on the floor how much pride do you take in in that element of your game a lot and um you know for me is it’s it’s it’s dope just because of when I was growing up trying to figure out what type of player I’mma Be you know when I’m trying to find my identity as a player I always wanted to be a multi-dimensional player so that you know I always would think like in college like you know when they do Scout reports and things like that if if I’m only just a scorer then they going to be able to just pick that apart they take that away from me then I can’t even be on the floor so I took pride in you know learning how to do different things and add value in different ways a lot of it comes from too just my path to get here like I wasn’t always a 20 point per game scorer you know and when I was a senior in high school at Sunrise Christian when I was around you know my my teammates was Kendall Brown who plays at the Indiana Shaden sharp yeah um you know we had a lot of top 100 guys I wasn’t one of the main options and you know I I averaged like three points that year but I like led the team in like every other statistical category and you know I took pride in that you know and those those are things that um the the almost the I like to say the basketball guys like the reward you know cuz you know like like doing that there’s there’s no one that can tell you that you know if you average three points in high school that it’ll like work out for you but you got to have that faith that the right person going to see it and I just kind of kept that like Mantra like just you know just do everything don’t just be a one trick pony and H it’s helped me get here so you know I’m I’m thankful that I was able to see it like that you’re really teeing up my next question here because the night of the draft Sam prey the Thunder GM he couldn’t talk about you specifically because the trade wasn’t through yet but something that he said a lot in generalities here over the last you know week or two is we want allout competitors in this building no matter what and what you’re describing out there is a guy that competes no matter what’s on his plate that night tell me about that aspect of your nature and and what you bring to the floor in terms of that um competitive streak and that locked in uh control it’s it’s it’s from perspective you know like when I was growing up becoming a basketball player and things like that and going to Weber you know I wasn’t considered an NBA player so like As I Grew and ascended to that level I never like lost focus of that and you know I always carried the chip you know everybody say chip on your shoulder but always just use it as fuel you know I always just did things that’ll keep me going you know everything every time I just find something new you know like you know it was many times I just like throughout the whole process where I would just find things you know like it would be probably something like small to people but I would just like blow it up into like something that’ll just like help me you know motivate my next two weeks and then after that I’ll find something else and then just let that motivate me and um that’s just kind of the competitiveness to me I just keep that perspective cuz a lot of people like if someone told you four years ago I would be here they not telling the truth so um I just try to keep that same mindset like you know don’t lose that as you coming through because now when you’re in the NBA now it’s like okay you ain’t the best player so like now what are you going to do you know and that’s a whole another challenge and process been you know that’s something I’m ready for ready for it and I know these Thunder fans are ready to see you out there on the floor they know they’re getting a competitive guy who is not afraid to go out there and work for for everything out there on the floor Dylan thank you so much for taking some time to talk to us here today great talking to you thank you thanks d y all right we are now joined by AJ Mitchell AJ we got a chance to talk to you out in the press conference room you were not wearing a uniform out there since that moment which was probably 10 minutes ago you were now wearing the Thunder blue I mean what was that moment like for you ah it’s crazy especially even having my name on The Jersey is just Why like it’s a dream for me so really really happy happy and I like it blue it looks good yeah yeah that’s pretty good you this is your first time actually wearing the Thunder Jersey but something you told us on the live stream a little bit earlier was that you got to sit down in the pre-draft process and be you know kind of in a film session with Mark dgal be in workouts and just talking to Mark he said you know we want these guys that come in to be a thunder player for a day what do you remember about that what did what did that feel like to be a thunder player for a day uh I think first of all just meeting a lot of people I think and it felt like we knew each other for like years I really felt like that connection was really quick with everyone and I think for me I think especially coach doing the workout the pre-draft workout to me was special I think it was the only head coach doing that uh so it was it was special and I really felt like a tunder player that day so it was cool in the short time that you’ve gotten to spend with Coach dagal what stands out about him and and just what he brings to the table I think just the way he kind of loves to teach I think uh in the workout in the film session I could really feel that he loves to teach uh especially as players so that’s what that’s what it felt like so it was pretty cool he has such an interesting Journey because he was going to be an educator I mean he never thought that he would get to this point and I imagine for maybe somebody who was at a mid- major there’s some part of you that wonders you know am I ever gonna get to the NBA is that going to be in the cards for me um you’re going to find there’s a roster full of guys who have defied the odds and and um been able to do that how excited are you to join this group of of guys that have you know that good healthy chip on their shoulder and that hunger um to continue their careers I mean I’m so excited I think there’s a lot of guys that were in that position uh and I think for me it’ll be really helpful to just know how they did it and what it takes uh and yeah having that chip on my shoulder I think since I was since I got to college I’ve had it so I think I’m really excited to use that even at this level AJ I think one thing that stands out as one of the more interesting parts of your story is that you were born in essentially raised in Belgium just we for those who don’t know what was that like for you what’s it like growing up in Belgium it’s different I think for me especially Santa Barbara is totally different than Belgium you think yeah but I love Belgium uh so I think best french fries french fries are from Belgium Go waffles best waffles ever and chocolate I heard grap chocolate yeah so so yeah that’s kind of what it was like is really just eating french fries that’s awesome but then no uh seriously like Belgium was a great place for me to live and grow up uh so I’m really excited and I always wanted to go to college uh my dad played college basketball my sister who’s here played uh college volleyball at Wisconsin then my brother played at ni school basketball and my other sister played volleyball too so all athletes and all college athletes so I always wanted to do that so I was stoked when I got the first call uh to go to college yeah I mean where do you even start with that process you know living in Belgium you know that you want to come over to the United States to play college but it’s like there’s hundreds and of schools to potentially play out how how does that even begin I think I mean for me it was first of all thinking about going there earlier going there for high school maybe like Prep School uh but it never really happened because I felt like I kind of had what it takes to be able to just go from Belgium straight to college uh and so I think when I started getting recruited at 16 was when it started getting real where I was like okay it’s like it might really be happening so I think it really pushed me to work harder and kind of always like get ready for college and and then my last year in Belgium I played professional so I think that really helped me just playing with older guys uh that know the game uh seeing that IQ and then learning from like veterans was really important and then once I got to college it was totally different a great experience for me but everything was different the food is like totally different and everything that comes with it so it was but it was it was fun a fun adjustment um when I got to college we had like six incoming freshman so it was pretty easy to kind of get into it but I remember my first week and like the schedule I would go to bed at like 700 p.m. 8:00. because I was so tired uh so the first week was rough and then kind of got used to it and it was great great three years you spent exactly three years at UC Santa Barbara what was it about that place or even just how you felt there that that made you want to stay there uh I mean it’s a like beautiful campus it’s beautiful but I like that really didn’t play a part in it I think for me it was just kind of like that family style I think once I got there everyone welcomed me like I was one of their own so I think that was really special to me and the fact that Santa Barb was the first school to believe in me uh it really felt like I wanted to give back to them uh in any way I could and when it was on the basketball court it was just always remembering that that was the first school so no matter what happens like always have that in mind yeah one of the things that that we were talking about Mark earlier one of the things he talks about with young players is just kind of continuing to put hurdles in front of them and and see you know if they can clear them give them those opportunities what were some that you felt like you cleared in college and then maybe what are some that you maybe can Envision for yourself already here at the NBA level that are kind of challenges laying out in front of you I think college for me it was just I mean as a like freshman and younger guy just showing that you’re ready to play I think when I got to college the first hurdle was uh my coach telling me like I don’t know if you’re going to play this year like you’re going to have to prove me so just always having that chip on my shoulder and knowing that I have to prove like nothing’s going to be given to me so I think that was one of the biggest thing I’ve learned in colleges no matter what happens being ready and being ready to fight honestly and then I think at the next level I think what I’ve learned a lot is being patient with myself uh obviously being competitive working hard every day but kind of what we talked about at Santa Barbara was honoring the process so take it one day at a time and try to get better every day so I’m I’m excited about that last thing for you AJ before we let you go you’re joining a team obviously that’s had some success over this past season a very close-knit team what excites you the most about this opportunity that’s in front of you here in Oklahoma City I mean I think the the whole organization is just great and I think we have great people around and the team chemistry is great so for me it’s just kind of being able to be part of that to me is really like really exciting and I think just being with the guys and then working hard every day being competitive but just really feeling like I’m part of it is going to be crazy I know Thunder fans are excited to see you out there as well sporting that that Thunder blue out there on the floor all right AJ Mitchell thanks so much for joining us thank you guys thank you guys it’s always so great to get a chance to talk to the newest faces of the Thunder roster those guys are just so cool so awesome and great to see them in Thunder blue as well but there’s also another new face in this thunder organization he wasn’t a draft pick but Alex Caruso a new addition to this team yeah brought over in a trade and not so new because he actually began his career in OKC with the OKC blue I had a great chance to sit down with him one-on-one so take a listen to what he had to say about being back in OKC I’ve got the newest member of the Thunder organization here inside the Thunder ion Alex Caruso coming in Via trade from Chicago and uh yet obviously very familiar with this organization having been here to start your professional Journey um Alex when you found out about the trade what was going through your mind uh how did you react in that moment uh obviously I’m sure kind of caught you off guard trades don’t normally happen at this stage of June yeah a little caught off guard um but you know to took it in stride I think once I heard those Oklahoma City I thought about you know all the relationships that I have with people that are still in the organization um obviously Sam and then you know Mark um just just a handful of people probably probably five to 10 people that are still here so was really excited you know just to have the opportunity to come back here cuz you know I know how good of an organization this is and how well run it is um and then excited to play with you know the guys uh I’ve watched from afar and they look like they have a lot of fun playing the game and that’s something that I look forward to yeah there’s so much continuity in this building and and one of the core values of this place is competitiveness and that just brims off of you as a player uh maybe tell me about that aspect of your character of your personality and how that meshes with what you have seen goes on Within These Walls and and how that translates on the court yeah I think that’s just about you know you want to chase greatness you got to be competitive um you got to push yourself and you got to push your teammates and I think that’s something for me um that even if I wanted to not do it I couldn’t like it’s just it’s ingrained in me if I’m going to do something I’m going to do it you know to the best of my ability uh and and obviously I you know if that wasn’t true I wouldn’t be sitting here with you eight years later after after signing exhibit 10 with OKC to to being on the team now um and then as far as basketball just you know excited to to match the energy of the guys you know I can tell from afar during the year that you know obviously led by by Shay but you know Lou Jay dub uh Chad like I can see all these guys have a hunger and have have a a competitiveness about them that that’s fun to watch there’s a presence to them as well in terms of being in the moment one of the things that you know very well from playing under Mark dnel is be where your feet are yeah and tell me about maybe how that Mantra helped shape your journey your career and and maybe how remarkable it is that that’s something that these guys live by I mean they talk about a zero zero mentality all the time here in this building yeah that was something that you know it’s funny you say that cuz we used to have like a 30 second pause right before practice with the blue be where your feet are time where it’s just no you don’t say anything it’s like you just got to do whatever you got to do to get your mind right for practice that day um and I think that stuck with me I really do I think I think I was just super present um whatever stage of my career and this journey that I’ve been on um wherever it was for me that’s what I was focused on I was focused on that team those players that coach um and then obviously myself to try and improve uh and I think it’s done great for me I mean obviously it’s done pretty good I’m I’m here now but you know I have some accolades to show for it for 7 years of of hard work uh and hopefully you know many more to come yeah you’ve faced adversity in your career you’ve been told no along the way but you have people in this building who have believed in you since you were in college Sam pry talked the other day about how he would go and Scout all these games and he wouldn’t be there necessarily to see you but every time he’d watch a game you’d be the best player on the floor and that that really stuck with him do you remember anything about um some of your first encounters with the Thunder organization and Sam and kind of maybe an initial belief in what you could be yeah I think you know just the fact that um they were willing to bring me in on exhibit 10 and let me play on the g- league team just showed that you know they they thought that I with a little bit of hard work and and some resiliency that I could make something of myself and and it looks like you know they turned out to be be correct so um you know Sam Sam’s one of the best in the game at what he does um if if he sees something it’s probably true and you know he might have even seen something maybe before I did in my myself um at least this far down the path but uh you know thankful obviously for for the opportunity and and I took it and ran with it and and still to this day you know trying to be present trying to keep getting better that’s that’s kind of what I’m focused on yeah and ultimately it does come down to you and what you’ve done maybe take me into uh your work ethic what you do in the offseasons what you do during the seasons to prepare your mind and your body to be an all defensive player uh all defensive team caliber player and what you’ve done to you know round out your game as well as a shooter and playmaker and distributor yeah it’s been the same thing um year after year and I’m just stacking hours stacking days uh that’s really all you can do you know there’s no secret formula to it you know there’s not something I wish there was I would have been here a lot earlier and we could have been sitting down a couple years ago but uh you just got to show up to work every day um I think that’s as simple as it gets and I think for me learning that lesson you know being on draft to going through the g-league to to getting into the NBA um uh being around Pros when I was young in the NBA you you see what the work ethic really is um and for me you know at this point 30 I I’ve been in the league for seven years like I know what works for me and and I plan out my Summers accordingly get to work play a little Golf and then during the year be a good teammate take care of my body you know all the stuff that that you know equates a success your mindset of stacking days is going to be ringing true to the people here in Oklahoma it’s something that these guys talk about in this building all the time how excited yeah how excited are you to get with these players Shay GIS Alexander and Lou Dort chat holr to grow to collectively as a unit yeah I’m really excited uh like like we talked about earlier I’m a super competitive guy um I know from playing against these guys that that’s how they operate you know there was times where uh they were down against against whatever team I was on in the past um and they had some type of heart or resiliency that they showed and came out and either won the game or had a chance to win it so I’m excited to be on the same team moving in the same direction instead of you know battling against them just because I can tell that they stand for the things that that I want to stand for and and it looks like they have fun playing the game which is something that I love to do you’re a shoot drive pass guy on offense uh you’re a lock down defender on defense one-on-one and off the ball just initially from kind of a a scheme and X and0 standpoint what do you envision in terms of your ability to to impact things within the system that that is in place here yeah I mean whatever they want me to do that’s what I’m going to do you know that’s kind of always been the uh the status quo for me is whatever the team needs is is what I’m going to get done um a lot of guard to guard actions I know just from guarding that how tough it is um just playing playing ahead of the defense I think is something that I do well you know um whether it’s a pass like you said Pass Drive shoot whatever the option is just being ready to play on offense and then obviously defensively just you know bringing that mentality bringing it night in night out uh pulling guys along whenever they might need it and then hopefully the opposite when I need it some nights last thing for you you got an offseason ahead a lot of time before you guys get to to Really lay them up uh what’s key for you moving forward what are you going to be doing uh spending your time on this offseason yeah I’m I’m back home in Austin just working on my game everything again you know there’s not one one thing that I I that goes untouched during the offseason whether it’s you know my body uh getting up enough shots just cuz the way the game is taking threes working on decision- making as a ball handler um and then my mind too just making sure that I’m I’m rehabilitating my my mental health and making sure that I come back fresh and hungry at the beginning of every year a hard hat No Nonsense kind of competitor these fans in Oklahoma City are going to love Alex Caruso welcome back to OKC thanks brother appreciate it it’s always so interesting because Alex cruso started his basketball Journey here in Oklahoma city with the OKC blue playing for Mark dagel and now full circle moment both of those guys teamed up yet again this season incredible Player Development story and that’s something that the Thunder organization Prides itself on this is a player in Caruso who has made himself into an all defensive team player a 40 plus percent shooter from behind the three-point line and a guy that is just an ultimate competitor yeah a guy who’s going to fit in very seamlessly out there with this competitive hardworking Thunder group not not scared to get his jersey dirty out there on the floor no tuxedos on that’s right no tuxedos with Alex Caruso all right before we let you go let’s give you what’s coming up for this Thunder team first things first summer league right around the corner the Thunder will be participating in the Salt Lake City summer league that is July 8th through the 10th and then as always participating in the Las Vegas summer league the Thunder will have four games at the bare bare minimum they’ll have a fifth game as well but we don’t know when that game is actually going to happen until after they play the first four games yeah and we’ll have full coverage for you in both of those places we’re actually broadcasting on wws Sports Animal the games out in Salt Lake City so be sure to tune in there and then keep your eyes out for free agency as well that starts next week a lot going on here so keep your eyes peeled on OKC thunder.com and OKC Thunder on all social channels but that wraps us up here in the introductory draft draft press conference always such an exciting day in this organization until next time thank you so much for watching and listening be sure to like rate and subscribe wherever you get your podcast thank you so much to our producer Matt bishop and until next time Thunder up and catch you later

The TBU crew sits down with the Thunder’s 2024 draft class of Nikola Topić, Dillon Jones and Ajay Michell to get to know more about the latest additions to the roster. Also, Nick talks 1-on-1 with guard Alex Caruso, who was acquired via trade earlier in the offseason.

0:13 Nick and Paris sit down with Nikola Topić
6:06 Getting to know Dillon Jones
14:01 Nick and Paris talk with Ajay Mitchell
21:50 One-on-One interview with Alex Caruso and Nick Gallo

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