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NBA FINALS: WARRIORS VS. RAPTORS

June 13, 2019

Pascal Siakam

Oakland, California - Postgame 6

Q. You have a lot of international players on your team. How did the diversity of this team and the staff play a part in this championship?
PASCAL SIAKAM: I think that it meant a lot, just having guys from different countries and speaking different languages. I think it kind of got us closer together. And you kind of have all those little kind of friendship with guys that you can speak the same language with, and from Spanish to French to English, different cultures. And I think kind of it represents Toronto in general, having that diversity.

Q. Can you tell us what the feeling is of being a champ? Did you realize what just happened?
PASCAL SIAKAM: Yeah, hopefully I can take it in a little bit minute by minute. The champagne makes it hard. But it's amazing, it's amazing, just excited, happy, kind of like seeing -- it's hard to just sit down and think about everything. But just the hard work and everything you put in, to be able to be here at this level and be able to win, it's a dream, it's a dream. And it feels amazing to be able to realize your dreams.

Q. What do you think made this team the best team in the league? What makes you so special guys?
PASCAL SIAKAM: I think we have, as a team, obviously, we have the best player in the league and the best player in these playoffs in Kawhi Leonard. But I think together we have this unit, a bunch of guys that will go out there and, they weren't top picks or whatever the case might be. But guys that just go out there and work every single day and try to be the best that they can be and unselfish. And it didn't matter in the beginning of the season, Marc starting or Serge starting, and we had that change. And every single time everyone sacrificing everything for the team and the greater good. I think that's what makes us so special, just that we are a team and that's what makes us dangerous.

Q. Nick Nurse has always talked about your improvement in your game and just how you expanded it out and everything. Can you talk a little bit about how he's been able to help you as a coach and what he brought to the team in his first year here to get you kind of to this point?
PASCAL SIAKAM: I think credit to him, just using the pieces that he had and kind of seeing me being able to do different things on the floor and kind of exploring that and giving me a chance to go out there. Not only me, but giving the confidence to guys like Fred and Norm and everyone, kind of feeling like it's an equal opportunity type of team. Obviously knowing who our best player is, but just continuing to trust each other and having that mindset that at any time anyone can go off. And he kind of gave us that freedom. So that's credit to him and he's been able to do a good job of that.

Q. If you could touch on your journey in the last two weeks, getting to The Finals, having that wonderful Game 1 where you were 14-17 from the floor, everything that just came with the NBA Finals. Can you describe that feeling and everything that you went through, please?
PASCAL SIAKAM: For me it's a lot of ups and down, man. And I think that's what makes the journey so exciting, just because you know you're not at your best, like you're not the best that you can be. I think for me as a player, young player, just going out there every single day knowing that, I'm knowing here where like how good I can be. And it kind I have gives me the opportunity to go out there and learn every single day, make mistakes and have bad games, but just continue to trust my work and everything that I put in to be here at this level, knowing that I deserve to be here at this level, and kind of like working every single day to be the best player that I can be. I'm going to have bad games, I'm going to miss shots, a lot of them. But at the same time, I just have to have the confidence to go out there and be myself and play the game that I love. And I think everything will always be okay when I do that.

Q. Speaking back on your journey, how do you feel like this will inspire the kids in the Basketball Without Borders program?
PASCAL SIAKAM: Oh, man, I think it means a lot. I think that's one of the reasons why I'm here and I have this flag representing Cameroon and Africa. I think for me as a kid I didn't have the opportunity to dream about this moment. I didn't think I could make it. I didn't think this was possible as a kid. And I think a lot of kids don't think that it's possible. Just me being able to be here today and telling them that, hey, look at me, I was a little scrawny kid from Cameroon and just had -- I couldn't even think about this moment. But here I'm at as a champion. And I just want to tell them that it's possible and that if you believe in something, go out there and work hard for it. It might sound clichÃ©, but it's the truth. I'm the proof.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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