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NBA DRAFT 2016

June 23, 2016

Isaiah Whitehead

Brooklyn, New York

THE MODERATOR: Isaiah, if you could start out with an opening statement, what you'll bring to the Jazz.

ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: Basically play-making ability. I can shoot the ball. I can do a lot of things. I'm a versatile guard, so I feel like I can do a lot.

Q. What were your emotions like? I saw you had all your family and friends there to hear your name called, something I'm sure you've thought about for a long, long time.
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: It was a great accomplishment even to be called into the draft. My family and my friends stuck with me through everything, so I've got to give everything to them and the way they stuck with me throughout the whole process.

Q. There are reports it's the Nets who actually are taking you. To be able to play in your home borough, what's that like?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: I mean, that's everything. Just to be able to wear that Brooklyn uniform across my chest, it would be an amazing accomplishment, and I can't wait for it.

Q. Talk about having to wait so long to be picked.
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: I mean, everyone has their journey. Everyone has their path, so I guess this is mine.

Q. How do you think you'll handle the pressure of now playing at home?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: I mean, there's no pressure. I mean, I played here in high school, I've played across the bridge in Seton Hall, so it's really not far away. It's just about being about your business and taking care of what you've got to take care of.

Q. Did you hear much from the Nets today? Did you know they were going to make this trade and get you? And also did the Knicks talk to you about trying to get a draft pick to get you?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: Actually the only time I talked to those two teams was when I worked out with them. The Nets really liked my game. They liked me since I was in school, so it's not a surprise that they picked me, but it's definitely a blessing.

Q. Do you see a chance to get a lot of playing time there since they kind of traded a lot of their players away?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: I think playing time, you've got to earn it. You've got to go into training camp and preseason and do what you've got to do to earn playing time. I'm not giving anything -- I definitely know I go to the next level and earn what I get, so I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Do you feel an added sense of pressure now that you're going to be playing in Brooklyn to put on for your city?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: Definitely not. People probably look at it that way, but it's just basketball, and I'm good at it. I'm going to just try to take it by storm and really just play well for Brooklyn.

Q. Do you think this is something that's coming full circle for you?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: I mean, definitely, man. I mean, it's a dream come true. Me and my friends and my family are really, really happy at this moment and we're going to try to just enjoy the night.

Q. You're going to be playing with Brooklyn. You're going to be playing with a young team, a team that is kind of in a rebuilding phase at this point in time. What do you feel would be the ideal role for you and what kind of success could you have in your first year with the Nets?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: Basically whatever they need me to do. If they need me to be on the bench cheering, then that's what I've got to do. If they need me to play and produce, that's what I've got to do. It's a job now, so you've got to go to work every day and take care of business.

Q. How much do you feel this will motivate you not getting selected in the first round?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: It's definitely motivation. I mean, I always dreamed about being a first-round pick. It didn't happen, so you've got to move on and just keep working and try to prove everyone wrong.

Q. Did you have a chance to talk to Coach Willard, any of the Seton Hall players before today or even during today leading up to the draft?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: Those guys wrote me a text. They called me after the first round saying, "Keep your head up," and I'm like, "Hey, if I get picked, I'm blessed." There's no rush to get picked. Wherever you get picked you've got to go there and take care of what you've got to take care of.

Q. The fact that you got picked in the second round, does that make you reevaluate your decision or does it not matter, you're in the league now?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: Once you make a decision like that, there's no looking back. You can't go back and say I should have did this, I should have did that. It's done. There's no reason to try to reflect on it and try to think about anything else because I can't take it back even if I wanted to.

Q. How well do you know and McCullough each other? You're going to be teammates, two city guys.
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: I know Chris McCullough very well, since junior high school playing against him, playing with him. He's a great player, and he's a good friend of mine.

Q. What's that like for two city guys playing for the hometown team?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: I mean, it's basically two city guys just trying to get to somewhere in life, just trying to grow and play for NBA teams. It will be a blessing to have his friends and his family there and my friends and family there and to watch us play.

Q. After a great season at Seton Hall including making the NCAA Tournament, was it a hard decision to enter the NBA Draft?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: Definitely. I mean, my teammates were like my brothers, so leaving those guys was definitely tough, but they understood. They understood I wanted to chase my dream and play in the NBA. So when I told them, they was all for it.

Q. How do you feel about being the first Brooklyn-born player to play for Brooklyn?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: It's a blessing, man. It's definitely in the books. It's a dream come true. Since Brooklyn got here, I always wanted to play for them, so it's definitely a dream come true.

Q. What part of your game do you still have to work on, if anything?
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD: Probably ball handling, sharpen that up a little bit. I definitely can shoot better. Just decision making, and after that, I feel like I'll be a good player.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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