GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 29, 2023

Brandin Podziemski

Media Conference

Q. Obviously draft night was a big night for you. One of the highlights was what your father had to say about you and how dedicated you are to working hard and running through a wall for this franchise. You got your first summer practice behind you. How did you feel going through Summer League and do you feel like you can embody all those words?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, I'm obviously the youngest guy on the Summer League team, but I'm expected to have a high role and lead guys. Going through that first summer practice was exciting for me, just to see how good a players we actually have around here, and made me believe that we should go 7-0 in Summer League.

Q. Who are some guys that stood out to you in practice?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, obviously Trayce, definitely a great player. Adam Kunkel shot crazy today. But everyone played their part, and everyone is all about winning, which is cool to see.

Q. Has Jacob Rubin or even Steve or anyone else on the coaching staff talked to you about what they want to see from you or if there are any specific areas of your game that they say we want you to capitalize on this?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, first time we were here we went out to dinner with Steve and Mike and they basically just told me to be myself. They drafted me for that reason, so when I'm out there, just play how I play, and everything else will follow suit.

Q. A lot of people talk about your feel for the game. As someone who hasn't been playing basketball since age 3 or anything, how do you innately get that feel for the game? Do you feel like the game has been slowing down for you more and more?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, I think a big thing is watching a lot of European basketball. I think it's more team oriented and making the right play always.

Obviously my favorite player was Manu Ginobili growing up, so just watching a lot of European guys and how they play. It's always seemed like they play the right way, and just modeled my game after those type of guys.

Q. Was that a point of emphasis in your pre-draft workout, all about the passing, the flow of the offense? How big was that with them?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, I think that's what's predicated here. I think that's how guys like Steph and Klay get a lot of their shots, just making the extra pass. When you pass the ball, it always finds you, and sharing is caring..

Q. Who's been the most influential person on your basketball career so far?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Most influential? I'd probably just say my dad, honestly. He didn't play basketball, so hearing his perspective from just a regular human's perspective on things has been really helpful. Not just hearing stuff basketball-related but being able to hear things as a person and as a man.

Q. What would you deem a successful Summer League for yourself? What are you looking forward to making sure you check off your list this summer going into the season in terms of your game, your growth?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, I obviously want to go undefeated as a team. Personally I want to have at least two or three triple-doubles, my assist-to-turnover ratio to be pretty well, and to shoot over 40 percent from three.

Q. How were you able to watch European basketball growing up? Was it YouTube highlights? Did you get to watch full games? What was that like?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: It was a lot of YouTube. Obviously Manu when I picked it up was just on the back of his career, and Luka was just starting to play overseas, so a lot of him, Manu Ginobili. Those two guys really stuck out for me.

Q. You said you want to possibly play for the Polish national team, I believe. Is that still something that's on your mind, and how much would that mean to you?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, I think it's definitely on my mind as something I want to do. I talk to Jeremy Sochan a lot about it. I have a lot of cousins back there, and just to play for that team would be something special for me.

Q. (Indiscernible).

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, she does. My grandma, too.