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NBA DRAFT 2019June 20, 2019Rui HachimuraBrooklyn, New York Q. Could you just describe your style of play and what you'll bring to your new team? RUI HACHIMURA: I think I can play defense. Both sides, defense and offense. I think I can impact the game. I can get rebounds and push the ball. I can shoot. I can pass. I think I can help the team a lot. Q. Do you have anything to say to Mr. [Joji] Sakamoto now that you've fulfilled his and your destiny? RUI HACHIMURA: Oh, yeah. In Japanese? Q. In both. RUI HACHIMURA: Coach, I made it! Yeah, that's it. Q. How surprised were you that you were taken ninth overall today given that you were projected to go somewhere in the mid teens? RUI HACHIMURA: Those are media guys projecting. On the inside, my agents are working, and I think they did a good job. I was ready for this, yeah. Q. You hadn't met with the Washington Wizards before you were drafted. Had you spoken to anybody before you were picked from the Washington Wizards? RUI HACHIMURA: No. Q. What are some goals that you want to accomplish in the NBA? RUI HACHIMURA: First of all, I want to play in the playoffs. Of course, I want to help the team. I want a championship. I think that's the one thing I want to accomplish here. Q. Generally when Americans think of Japanese athletes, mostly we think about baseball players. Was that a game you played? Was basketball big growing up? RUI HACHIMURA: Yeah, actually I played baseball before I started playing basketball. Basketball, I think where it's going, it's getting bigger and a lot of people are watching basketball right now. So yeah, it's big right now. Q. The World Cup will be hosted in China in 2019. Are you going to play for the Japan national team and are you going to China? RUI HACHIMURA: Yeah, of course. I want to play for my country. That's the one thing, last year we qualified for the -- that's why I played for them, and we qualified then. Q. I wanted to ask you growing up as a kid if you had an NBA player that you idolized or looked up to? RUI HACHIMURA: I think the first player I liked, I think Carmelo. I liked Carmelo, how he plays. He's the same position. He's big but he can shoot. Do whatever. I liked to watch him. Q. If Brandon Clarke is drafted later, that would be the first Gonzaga teammates drafted ever in the same draft. What would that mean to you? RUI HACHIMURA: It's great. He's a great player. I played with him last year. He works hard every day. Gonzaga is one of the best programs in the country. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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