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NBA DRAFT 2019

June 20, 2019

Brandon Clarke

Brooklyn, New York

Q. How are you feeling about tonight? How are things going? Just a general overview of tonight so far.
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, it's kind of tough to not be anxious when you're just sitting there and you're waiting for your name to be called. But just after I finally heard my name called, pretty much all that bad feeling went away and all that anxious stuff went away. I'm just really grateful that I heard my name called tonight.

Q. Until tonight, Gonzaga has never had two first-round picks. How does that make you feel to make history?
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, that's awesome. That's really cool because Gonzaga has just had lots of really great players. For me and Rui to be the first two to be drafted in the first round is just something that's awesome.

Q. What are your initial thoughts on being part of the Memphis Grizzlies? Have you ever experienced the city at all?
BRANDON CLARKE: I don't think I've actually been there before, but I think that's really cool. I was actually kind of looking forward to going somewhere that I haven't really been before. I just really can't wait to get there and get to work.

Q. You haven't had much time to think about it, but that's your impression of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson?
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, I've watched them both plenty and I think it'll be very fun playing with them both. Ja is clearly one of the most fun players to watch ever to me, and Jaren is also a very great talent. I'm just really looking forward to being able to play with those guys.

Q. How do you see your game projecting at the next level? What position do you see yourself sliding in, and what do you feel like your skill set is at the NBA level?
BRANDON CLARKE: I can play a four, three. I can play a five, two. It will probably start with just playing defense really. I can block shots, guard pretty much anybody on the floor, in the paint. My shot is just getting better and better. There's lots of stuff I'll do to help teams win games.

Q. You mentioned that you've watched a good amount of Ja and a good amount of Jaren. What is it about their games that really sticks out that you think you're going to be able to mesh so well with them?
BRANDON CLARKE: First off, Ja is a really, really good passer. I play well with point guards. I can pass the ball well. And Jaren is just a really good talent, too, a really strong dude who can shoot it and also drive it. It's always fun playing with dudes like that. I just played with Rui and it was pretty much similar to that. Ja is just a really good passer and he's a really, really bouncy player, too. So I'm sure we're going to have some very fun highlights to watch.

Q. I know you haven't spent the most time in Canada, but you were born there. And for this year overall looking back at the Raptors winning a championship, a bunch of guys with Canadian ancestry have been drafted already this season. Looking back the past few years, there have been a lot of guys that have been drafted from Canada. How do you think that's kind of seen the rise of Canadian basketball as a whole the last few seasons?
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, I just feel like there's lots of talents coming out of there now. I'm not sure why it took so long, but I would just say probably because basketball is getting bigger and bigger and it's gotten much bigger, too, in Canada. And also with the Raptors winning, that's going to make it even bigger. It's just been really fun to watch the evolution of basketball in the country.

Q. What does it mean having those Canadian roots, an opportunity to wear the maple leaf and see these young stars, another generation come to the rise and perhaps take Canada basketball to another level?
BRANDON CLARKE: It's really awesome. I'm a huge fan of every player that comes out of the country of Canada. To see players come out of there and be very good is something that's awesome. I'm somebody who grew up watching Nash play and I always thought it was really cool he was from Canada because I am, too. RJ Barrett obviously is somebody who's going to be huge for them. So it's just really cool seeing the next big player coming out of Canada.

Q. How do you see yourself fitting next to Jaren Jackson specifically given his skill set, being a rim protecting big that can also stretch the floor? Do you see yourself as a big next to him, as a wing? Where do you fall as far as that?
BRANDON CLARKE: I would probably say a big next to him. I can play the wing, too, but probably a big next to him. I feel like in the paint it'll be really tough to finish through us, over us. With him shooting, it's something I'm going to get better at, too. It'll make us a real good duo.

Q. Two quick questions about Canada. You were born and raised in Vancouver. How much did your family or did you remember about the Grizzlies being back then as Vancouver team? And how much did you have a chance to know Dillon Brooks?
BRANDON CLARKE: I think that my mom brought me to a game when I was like 1 or 2, so obviously I don't really have that much memory of that. I moved to Phoenix when I was about 3 or 4. I still have lots of family there, though, so I like to go back often.

Dillon Brooks, I don't really know that much about him. I know he's a good player and I watch him a bit, but on a personal level I don't really know him that much.

Q. I know Jaren has been floating around a bit tonight. Did you get a chance to talk to him after he got selected? Did he tell you anything like that?
BRANDON CLARKE: I actually haven't yet, but I'm sure I'll be talking to him very shortly.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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