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NBA DRAFT 2017

June 22, 2017

Frank Ntilikina

Brooklyn, New York

Q. Frank, would you please start with an opening statement about what you'll bring to the Knicks.
FRANK NTILIKINA: What I will bring to the Knicks, actually a lot of hope. I think I'm a player who will trust the process, work hard, and definitely try to be the best player I can be, who will give energy. I think I'm a team point guard and shooting guard actually. I'll just try to make my teammates be better every day, and I think I can play defense, too.

Q. The Knicks have had very great success with international players, young players with Kristaps Porzingis lately. Do you think that helps with this environment in New York?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Yeah, yeah, for sure. To be drafted and to play in a place that already has international players is just great to adapt to the environment, like you said, and I think to play with them, to have a lot of advice of how they feel, how they felt on the court, how was their rookie season, it's just like great for me.

Q. Frank, I know this is all coming at you pretty quickly, but can you imagine what it will be like the first time you step on to the Garden court as a Knick?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Actually you can't realize until it happens. Like I've been actually playing my season with my team back in France, and when the last game, the fourth game with my team ended, like I just thought to realize I was getting drafted in two days, you know. More and more the emotion started to come into my head and into my body, and when I heard my name, it was just great. It was just a blessing. It was actually a lot of motivation to me to go in the gym and work harder. So I think you can't even realize how it will be to hear your name.

Q. Frank, you started your professional career in France actually in 2015 when you were only about 17 years old. How has that experience made you more prepared for what you have in store in the NBA?
FRANK NTILIKINA: I think it definitely helped me to play against grown men, adults, and to play against some of the guys that went into the NBA actually. Like I had teammates that played in the NBA, former Mavs Rodrigue Beaubois, former Knick Mardy Collins, so actually every teammate can help you to make the transition, young championship to the professional championship actually, so it helps a lot.

Q. You said that you played with Rudy Gobert when you were in France?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Rodrigue Beaubois.

Q. Have you spoken to any of the French players in the NBA to see what their experience has been?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Not that much. We're all trying to get focused, to be focused on our season. Definitely now off-season, I've received already some messages and a lot of support from them, like French basketball. We are all family, so we definitely try and help everybody. So I know they will be here for me, and it's just great, great to them.

Q. For those that haven't watched you play, what will you bring to the New York Knicks? What is your game?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Like I said first, I think great defender, willing to defend, willing to play hard, and to give intensity to the team and the offense. Like I'm a team player. I always try to give the best to the team no matter what happens. To me the most important thing is to get the win. I like to shoot it, to pass it, and then play pick-and-roll.

Q. What is your knowledge of the triangle offense? That's something that Phil Jackson has made his prize baby over his career. Do you know a lot about that and what are your impressions of it?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Definitely we talk about it. You know, I've been watching a lot of NBA games. I know that this is the system that brings him a lot of championships, definitely. I think the play that -- the system that I played back in France with my team is quite similar with it, and we talk about it together, and I think I can definitely fit with this system.

Q. I was wondering, can you divulge any of your conversations with the Knicks and just kind of elaborate on what you anticipate your role to be next year? Is it point guard? Is it coming off the bench, or do you see yourself as a hybrid in the triangle?
FRANK NTILIKINA: You know, we didn't get that far. I think it was a short meeting that actually was -- just to talk about how I was as a man. They wanted to know me. I didn't do any workout. They wanted to know how I am. I think me personally, I'm ready to play point guard, play shooting guard. We'll see what happens after.

Q. Frank, I'm wondering about your childhood in France. Here in New York City basketball is often played in public parks, and New York is famous for producing point guards who hone their skill in these competitive games, pickup basketball games. I'm wondering if any such thing exists in Strasbourg and if you could say anything about when you fell in love with the sport when you were a kid?
FRANK NTILIKINA: I fell in love with the sport when I played with my brother and actually we played a lot in the park. Definitely I was trying to get -- I was trying to play basketball every day, and when I couldn't with my team, I was every day going to the park trying to play.

Q. Which park?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Close to my city, close to my house. It's called la Citadelle.

Q. How excited are you at the prospect of playing with Kristaps Porzingis? And there have been trade rumors around him. Do you think it would be a mistake for the Knicks to let him go?
FRANK NTILIKINA: I don't know. Definitely just to play with him would be great, I think. Like I said, I'm just trying to get my teammates to be better, and like we're both European, we both have a good IQ and play pick-and-roll with him will be great. But actually I just know that I will play great with him.

Q. You already have an A+ on the suit.
FRANK NTILIKINA: Thank you.

Q. Who's the designer, if there is one? Who helped you with it?
FRANK NTILIKINA: I was working with it back in France with a tailor. Yeah, we worked on it together.

Q. How long ago did you start putting it together?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Three months maybe.

Q. When did you get the first indication that you would be selected by the Knicks?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Actually when I heard my name. I just -- yeah, yeah, I just like asked my agent and my family to keep it for them. I just wanted to leave the process of the draft, like I wanted to leave it, just know where I would be just hearing my name, so when I heard it.

Q. You have a big game in France tomorrow.
FRANK NTILIKINA: Yeah.

Q. What has this week been like for you?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Crazy, crazy exciting. Like I think that's what we play for, basketball, to have a lot of emotion, and definitely this week is one of the craziest weeks I've been through in my whole life, trying to get the championship tomorrow, so definitely great.

Q. At what age did you start to play basketball, and how did you pick it up?
FRANK NTILIKINA: When? The age of 4, actually.

Q. Why four? Was it your brother?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Yeah, yeah, my brother, we started playing basketball in the park one day. They brought me to just have some fun outside.

Q. I was wondering if you spoke to Phil Jackson at all in your pre-draft interview, and how did that go, meeting him?
FRANK NTILIKINA: Yeah, yeah, it was great. I spoke to him yesterday actually, and it was great to talk with him. Actually I think -- I thought when I went out of this meeting that it was one of the right places for me to be to improve as a player. Like I said, trusting the process. So yeah.

Q. How long did you guys speak for?
FRANK NTILIKINA: A long time.

Q. There's a lot of stuff going on at the Knicks at the point guard position, so you may or may not be in a starting role. How would you feel about backing up and maybe having to work harder to start?
FRANK NTILIKINA: I think it's really exciting to have challenges right at the beginning of your career, like it's really exciting. I mean, I'm ready for whatever will happen. Like I said, just to hear my name tonight gave me a lot of motivation, and I think I'm ready for whatever will happen, definitely.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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