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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 24, 2018

Hamidou Diallo

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Q. Hamidou, you were second-round draft pick and then you get the trade with the Thunder. Talk about the emotions of what you went through around the draft process, and from my perspective, at least, the Thunder treated you like a first-round draft pick. They wanted you and signed you and all those things that don't automatically come to second-round picks.
HAMIDOU DIALLO: First off, I would say draft night was definitely a long process. A lot of emotions between me and my family. But I felt like it was a great night, and ended up in a great place, and after draft night, the work started. I was focused on Summer League and getting ready to attack Summer League, working hard day in and day out, and when I went out to Summer League, I felt like I took care of business out there. I felt like we could have won a couple more games, but we didn't, so we had to just come back and the grind started all over again.

Q. When you have such a great showing in Summer League, what does that do to for your confidence coming into this season? Is that something you think about trying to continue that rhythm, or is it always in the back of your mind, this is Summer League, this is kind of a different game? How does that transition when you move into the regular season?
HAMIDOU DIALLO: I mean, as a basketball player it does, but at the end of the day, Summer League is Summer League, and it has nothing to do with the real season. Pretty much not even all the guys that was on Summer League is on a real season team. There's only like three, four people, so you've got to take that into account.

Q. What do you see your role being for this season?
HAMIDOU DIALLO: Right now, I mean, I haven't identified my role with no coaches or anything like that. Just been trying to learn as much as possible and be a sponge for this year. A bunch of veteran guys, a bunch of great players and trying to learn from them and pick up all the good habits that they have.

Q. You get here, you've got two Kentucky guys besides yourself on the roster. Are we seeing a takeover? Are we going to see more? Is three a good number? What does it mean to have -- I know you didn't play with those guys, but what does it mean to have old Kentucky guys on the roster when you get here?
HAMIDOU DIALLO: I mean, it's a brotherhood. We speak about old Kentucky times and things like that, things that when they was playing at Kentucky, and from when I was playing that are still the same and stuff like that. We just speak about all the good times that we had in college. It's still like a brotherhood. I mean, going to Kentucky you can speak to any guy from Kentucky, and we've formed like a brotherhood now.

Q. The Thunder's track record, particularly a guy like Andre Roberson who was not a highly skilled offensive player coming out of college, but the Thunder identified him as a defensive guy who can play and he's turned himself into a big time player. They've talked about you and your potential with defense. Does that give you sort of inspiration that, hey, if I work on the defensive side of the ball, things are going to take care of themselves regardless of what happens on offense?
HAMIDOU DIALLO: I mean, yeah, definitely. Dre is definitely a great player, and the Thunder track record, how they develop players, has just been spectacular. For me, I've just got to come in and attack every day and try to learn as much as possible from guys like Andre, Russ, PG, Stevo and just try to learn as much as possible because they've been here for so long and they know the ropes and just try to learn from their mistakes that they did on their way to where they are now and try to learn from things that they didn't do and just try to adapt that into my daily routine.

Q. We saw this summer a couple videos of you in your workouts kind of jumping very high. The dunk contest, is that something that maybe you'd want to try this year?
HAMIDOU DIALLO: I mean, yeah, definitely, if I have the chance to do it and I get invited, I'll definitely do it. Just got to keep trying to show my bounce here and there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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