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NBA FINALS: CLEVELAND VS GOLDEN STATEMay 31, 2017Deron WilliamsOakland, California: Practice Day Q. How satisfying is this for you? DERON WILLIAMS: It's been a long journey. A lot of ups and downs, but it's well worth it. Once you get here and once you're in The Finals, it's definitely exciting. I feel blessed to be in this position and to be able to compete for a championship. And just trying to live in the moment, relish it, and enjoy it, because you don't know if it will ever happen again. Q. Obviously the Utah and with the Nets, you were always the center. Was it hard coming, like coming to a lesser role, or was it something that is easier to embrace given the guys that you have on this team? DERON WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think that that's one thing, is you're playing with the best player in the world, arguably the best point guard in the game. Superstars. So for me, it was a team that's already established. They won it last year. So for me, it was an adjustment. It was an adjustment coming over here and learning to not play where I had the ball in my hands for the whole game and didn't know if I was going to play 20 minutes or 10 or 15 or what. But after a while and kind of settling in to things and learning what they need from me, it's become a lot easier. Q. Talk about your relationship with Shaun Livingston. DERON WILLIAMS: I've actually known Shaun since he was like 16 years old. He used to come up to the University of Illinois a lot, came on some unofficials there. So I've known him for a long time and followed his career. And he's been through a lot in his career, battled through with the injury that he had, came back and had a great year for us in Brooklyn and because of that was able to sign here and has played well for this team, won a championship. So I'm definitely happy for Shaun and what he's been able to accomplish in his career, and I think he's got a lot more, a lot more left in him. Q. Is it going to be weird going against him? DERON WILLIAMS: Well, it's pretty much every game I play I play against somebody I played with, so it's not weird. Q. How do you approach all the outside noise, chatter? Do you pay attention to it? DERON WILLIAMS: I don't pay attention to it. I don't watch ESPN much, try not to follow on social media. So I don't really pay attention to the outside noise. Q. What's it been like for you to have LeBron James as a teammate? DERON WILLIAMS: It's been great, man. I mean, he's the best. Not only the best player in the game, but he's a great teammate, a great leader. He pushes guys. He holds guys accountable. And that's what you want from your best player. And at the same time he's the hardest worker on the team. So when you do all those things, you're going to be great. Q. Richard Jefferson said one measure of his greatness is how he helps other people out. Can you sort of say how he's helped you out? DERON WILLIAMS: I just think that he just -- as I said, his leadership, how he talks to guys, explains things. He doesn't shy away from telling you how he feels, which is good and which is something you like, you know, is someone to be honest with you. Q. You said coming here was an adjustment. Do you feel fully adjusted now? Do you understand your role? DERON WILLIAMS: Yeah, I feel like I have a real grasp on what my role is, and I'm settled in and happy. Q. Draymond earlier talked about how everyone is susceptible to trash talk. Is that something that you agree with? DERON WILLIAMS: Susceptible? Q. Yeah. So getting under your skin or getting into your head. DERON WILLIAMS: I guess so. I don't know. I don't really indulge in it. Never have. But that's his opinion. Q. Who is the best trash talker in this series? DERON WILLIAMS: I don't know. Q. You've been in this league a long time, and you've played a lot of games, you lost a lot of games. Does this moment feel different for you? Is there a sense of nervousness? DERON WILLIAMS: Not yet. It's still early. I'm sure once I come out tomorrow to shoot before the game, you'll get a sense for the energy in the building. Right now it's just you guys asking me who is the best trash talker in the series, so it doesn't get me too excited about playing basketball right now. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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