GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 27, 2021

Damion Lee

Media Conference

Q. Damion, can you give us a general sense of the talent level of the younger guys?

DAMION LEE: Good. Workouts been really good. Guys been coming in, getting work in. That's really what it's about, and then just trying to bring the young guys along, get them familiar with terminology and the concepts that we do. It hasn't been too, too crazy, just trying to get guys up to speed knowing that we have a month and a half with them until training camp starts. Just trying to get guys up to speed as best we can and go from there.

Q. What have you seen from the new guys, Jonathan and Moses and also Otto and those guys, what have you seen from them?

DAMION LEE: With O, Porter, they are pretty low maintenance guys, coming in, finding ways to help the team be successful. Obviously get back to the playoffs and then go from there.

Then with JK and Moses, it's their attentiveness. They are trying to learn. Coachable. They just ask a lot of questions and that's one thing that you really want from a bunch of young guys is guys that are willing to ask questions and want to learn. I'm pretty sure you can ask all the vets on this team, that's what they do when they first came in.

Q. James was just in a minute ago and talked about how he got through his rookie year, there were highs and some lows and some injuries he's still rehabbing from. What did you see from him that really impressed you and how he handled everything, being thrown in from day one with such huge expectations?

DAMION LEE: Yeah, I mean it, was just -- like there were some days where you felt bad for him, at least I did, just knowing that he's 18, 19 years old, played three college games and has the weight of the world on his shoulders being the No. 2 pick, and so trying to own that expectation of living up to that.

One thing I would always tell him is there's a difference between being great and being perfect. And anybody that's perfect was never great. And anybody that's great was never perfect. It just a matter of finding that balance and trying to understand everyone's story is different, everyone's journey is different, and you know, for him, he started to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it would be two great weeks and another setback and protocols and the injury. For him it's trying to understand what balance is like, not even just this year but going into his future. All the greats in this game have balance. It's just a matter of finding that and going from there.

Q. The starting shooting guard spot is open and they haven't said who, but they are looking at a bunk of people, and you're someone that fits in with the lineup. How much do you want that spot and how much do you think it's there for you?

DAMION LEE: If it happens, it happens. That's not my soul goal -- soul focus is just to start. My goal is to help contribute to this team and help us get wins and be the best player that I can be.

This summer has been great for me because it's allowed me to understand my why, what I do, and who I am, and just being complete in the person that I am where I don't go out here and compare with other guys.

Like I know what I can bring and I'm comfortable in who I am as a person. I'm just at the best space that I've been in mentally in my career. This is the first summer that I haven't had an injury or haven't had to rehab since 2013.

So for me, if I start, I start, or if I come off the bench, I come off the bench, I'm comfortable with who I am and I know what I can bring to this team and give it my all every single night.

Q. You're a big golf guy. How would you rate Steph Curry's Ryder Cup interview tactics with Michael Jordan?

DAMION LEE: I didn't even watch it, so you could say I'm not really that invested in golf. But when I first saw the picture of it, my first comment was, "Imagine a skins game between those two."

Two great, obviously, players, and outside of their day job, two pretty damned good golfers. That would be dope to see that but Steph is completely invested in golf. Not saying that he will go pro after. I feel like he probably take some time. But I mean, to be a scratch golfer and that not be your day job, pretty locked in.

Q. Can you tell us more about what went into that --

DAMION LEE: Just being at peace. Owning who I am. Like I say, not having to compare myself with anybody or feel like I'm in competition. I know who I am and what I bring every single day and I'm happy about that. Like I said, I had a pretty great summer with the four weddings, so now me and all my closest friends are all married, my whole friend group and it's just great to be surrounded by love.

That's really all my summer was. I kept my head down, kept working and didn't do any media. Stayed out of the way. Surrounded by my friend and family. Enjoyed time with my wife and our dog.

Q. One of my favorite videos of this summer was you and your mom with the car. Can you run me through that and why that was such a cool moment for you guys?

DAMION LEE: Yeah, it was dope. You know, my mom, anybody who knows me knows my mom is my side kick. She's right there next to me through everything. Buying the car, it was just a token of appreciation. She never asked for anything. Like I said in the caption. She never wants for anything. It's just, you know, when I was freshman and sophomore in high school, my mom would driver an hour, 15 every single morning. I would get up at five in the morning every single morning. She would drive down 95, an hour, hour 15 to get me to school, drop me off by 7:00 AM, she started at 8:00. She worked ten-hour shifts, would pick me up at 6:00 PM and fight traffic to drive an hour and a half back home. We did that every day for two years. But there's nothing that I can do that can repay what she's done for me, the sacrifices that she's made.

So obviously that small token of appreciation, it was just dope to see a smile on her face. She had no idea, no clue. We set it up on the back end and it was dope. Now she just takes all her friends around. She's the one always asking to drive now, so pretty dope.

Q. As you approach fatherhood, has that changed your perspective? What has that done for you mentally as you approach that date?

DAMION LEE: I think that's probably been another huge factor in this summer. Just knowing what's coming, knowing everything's bigger than me now. Not necessarily, say, bigger than me but we have our family and not going to go into too many detail, but people know we're expecting, and the day will come when it does. But you know, just knowing that I'm going to be the best father that I can be, knowing I was raised by a single mom.

Q. There are a lot of leaders on this team but are you looking to take on more of a leadership role this year, why the one guards in particular?

DAMION LEE: I wouldn't say necessarily like full=on take on a leadership role but I'll take to all the guys and if they want to talk to me or ask me questions, knowing what my journey has been to get here and continue try to establish myself; I still don't have that feel like I made it, like two years ago, people were asking me, do you feel like you made it. I still have that mentality like I'm still on a two-way. I guess being on the middle ground, like there's the younger guys and the vet/vets and knowing I've been through my fair share of stuff, just trying to be the guy that can relate to everyone. It doesn't matter who it is on the team, whether they are older or whether they are younger.

Q. It sounds like you've got the humble speech going and you're in this new place, but it sounds like you might be plotting a wait till y'all see me type of season. Am I accurate in my assessment that you got something brewing; that you expect to break out or something this year?

DAMION LEE: No, but I see you throwing darts, though. Trying to find something that sticks. Like I said, if it happens it, happens. But just blessed, man. Just through and through, like knowing what I do. I've got butterflies this morning waking up, like it was the first day in school, like I'm back in high school, did I iron out my outfit, is everything did. Because this stuff means a loot to me, coming in here every day, giving it my all, doing something that, you know, I didn't know that I was going to be a pro growing up. It wasn't the dream but once I put my mind to it, it happened.

So it's knowing everything that I've put into it, knowing what's down the line, just excited, man.

Q. I know you still have to map out your career, but is part of you like, given that part of your game and always fighting for everything you get and appreciating it, you know that there's some young players watching you know, do you relish that, even if it's not maybe speeches or anything, but you're setting an example for how they can work and how you stay in the league?

DAMION LEE: Yeah, definitely. I mean, just owning who you are, knowing what you do and keeping your head down and working. I feel like that's been my story. I haven't really been a big outwardly spoken person unless it's something I'm extremely passionate about and I don't just talk to the talk. I go out there and play and give it my all, and some people like it and some people don't. There's critics and there's fans but at the end of the day I know who I am and I'm glad that I can finally accept that and own that, and even coming in here into the media setting and like I don't have any beef with anybody in the media. I never did. But it's like, I know this year I'm going to speak my mind on my topics that I have because I'm extremely comfortable in who I am and I don't have to hold become or shy away from anything.