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NBA DRAFTJune 26, 2014K.J. McDanielsBROOKLYN, NEW YORK K.J. McDANIELS: It's a blessing to be in Philly. I'm shocked I got picked. I'm definitely going to go out there and play my hardest and give Philly my best. Q. The 76ers have spent years stockpiling a lot of young talent. It really hasn't, unfortunately, come to fruition. Tell me what you knew about Philadelphia. Are you familiar with the city? Have you visited it? Aside from basketball, have you gotten a chance to know the town at all? K.J. McDANIELS: Not really. Only for the workout, I've been there. I watched Philly for a long time. Allen Iverson, big fan of his. Charles Barkley, he's from Alabama as well. So being called up there was a great feeling. I'm happy that Philly picked me. Q. I'm kind of curious. When you see players working out, we figure the team wants to evaluate talent. I'm kind of curious do the executives take you to at least get familiar with the city? K.J. McDANIELS: They showed us a great time when I was in Philly for my day. I enjoyed the way it looked. It was a great city to be in when I was there. So I'm looking forward to getting to know it even better. Q. Talk about the process to get here, coming from Clemson and going through all of these workouts, to get drafted and to hear this crowd erupt when they called your name, people wanting your autograph down the hall. Talk about that process. K.J. McDANIELS: It's been a long journey, came a long way. Clemson gave me an opportunity to showcase my talent, and to be called here once again, it's a blessing. I have to thank God and my family. That's the main reason why the crowd erupted because most of them were my family out there. You know, we all know where we came from. Just to get here is a blessing. I know they're behind me all the way. Q. They were chanting your name. K.J. McDANIELS: [Laughing.] Q.How does it feel to join a group of guys like Joel Embiid, Michael Carter‑Williams, guys like that? K.J. McDANIELS: It's a great feeling because I've watched those guys play, and to be in there, I feel like we can all come together and make‑‑ get Philly back on the map and be one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference. So being able to go play with those younger guys, I feel like we can all learn off each other, and I feel like we would be a pretty good team. Q. Philly's got a pretty young core, and it seems like they're pretty open to competition when it comes to starting. Do you feel like you could come in and start immediately as a swing man there? K.J. McDANIELS: I feel like with my work ethic, I could come in and possibly start. I'm appreciative just that I was picked, so I'll have to go in there and work hard just like everybody else. Q. So can you explain a little bit about how supportive your family is. You said, "We all know where we came from: What does it really mean for you? What's a little bit about your story? K.J. McDANIELS: I was born in Mobile, in Prichard, Alabama. I started out there, playing on the concrete with my little cousins and my older cousins. Just to have them come all the way here and support me, it means a lot. They know how hard I've worked, and to have them here, it's a great moment for me and them as well. So just them supporting me means a lot to me, and I love them for that. Q. What's like your not personal connection, but how close are you with your cousins? Everyone is not close to their cousins. And what are their names? K.J. McDANIELS: I have a few cousins, a lot of them out there. I'm close to all of them, and they all supported me, especially when I got to Clemson. There's a lot of them out there. It would take a minute for me to name all of them. Q. K.J., you come from a state primarily known for football. Do you feel you were prepared to play at a Division I level when you first came out of high school? And did you want to play in the state of Alabama? K.J. McDANIELS: I did at first, but I wanted to get out of Alabama and meet new people, see new things. So Alabama's a great state to be in, great football state, as you said. I love watching Alabama football play, and just to get out of Alabama for basketball primarily is a great experience for me. Alabama raised me. So I get my fight from there. So shout out to Alabama. Q. I remember Mobile as a baseball town. So many great Hall of Fame baseball players. Is that a sport you play anymore? Does anybody play it in Mobile? K.J. McDANIELS: I haven't seen anybody play it in Mobile. We haven't played. We play basketball, football, just the main sports. That's my first time really hearing that right there. I'm happy to be here. I can't do anything but thank the Lord, thank my family. Q. Philly is a team that's shown that they're very willing to move people around, whether it's train them or put them in the D‑League. Is that something that's in the back of your mind? Is that a concern of yours? K.J. McDANIELS: Not really. I feel like, if I was to get traded, whatever team I go to, I go in and work my hardest and put my best effort first. And just work. That's all it is, just work, wherever I go. In Philly, I feel like they definitely picked a good worker here. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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