	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA ALL-STAR 2020

February 14, 2020

Brandon Clarke

Chicago, Illinois - Rising Stars

Q. How special is it to be here with RJ Barrett and with your teammate, Ja Morant?
BRANDON CLARKE: I would say very, very special. Also, Jaren's here, so it's really weird actually playing versus him tonight, especially because it's like midseason. I feel like I'm just in a grind with him always. To be playing versus him tonight is definitely weird, but it's really cool, and it's also really big for our team. I'm just really grateful to be able to rep our team tonight.

Q. Are you excited the direction your team is going?
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, man, definitely. Obviously, the team is really young, so people really didn't see us being a playoff team this year. So to be there now is something to be really, really proud of and just really looking forward to the future of our team and growing with them.

Q. What has been driving the success in Memphis?
BRANDON CLARKE: You know, our team just has a bunch of winners really, just a bunch of guys that really want to win and play hard. Our coaching staff has done a great job of making us gel and making us play to the best that we can. Yeah, we just got a bunch of guys that have really good chemistry, and we've been able to win a bunch of games now.

Q. How much is it Ja running your team?
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, it's been huge for us. Our team goes how Ja goes. Just to have him being our point guard, being the guy that just like runs our team, it's been huge for us, and he's been a really big key as to why we won so many games.

Q. How much do you enjoy the role you have?
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, it's great. I love being the guy coming off the bench, bringing energy for the team. That's something that I'm just really good at and something that I think I've had a really good role doing. I really hope that I keep on doing that this year and keep on bringing in that edge for us.

Q. Do you have any aspirations to become a starter?
BRANDON CLARKE: You know, at some point, that would be great, but I really don't mind, though. I'm a player that can play off the bench, that can start. It really doesn't matter to me.

Q. You didn't have a ton of offers coming out of high school. In the draft you didn't get recognition. What is your mindset of the situation? Has it always been the same, or has it evolved?
BRANDON CLARKE: Well, yeah, by now I'm kind of used to it. I've kind of like embraced it really. I'm kind of just like a low key guy. I don't mind not being super famous. I don't mind people kind of missing out on me because, when the people that do want me to play for them see me and they like me, I'm just really grateful to be able to play for them. It's just kind of who I am now, so I really embrace that role.

Q. Was there a time where it bothered you?
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, I guess maybe when I was younger, I was kind of bothered by it, but as I got older, just really grateful that like my family and my friends see what I've done on the court and know the player that I am.

Q. What's it like having Ja be the face of the team?
BRANDON CLARKE: It's honestly fine. I'm not someone who loves having cameras on me and a bunch of pictures and videos being taken of me. It's perfect having Ja be that guy that gets all of the attention and me just kind of being in the background, helping him out a little bit.

Q. Speaking of attention, you've known Rui Hachimura for a very long time. He's one of the more famous players out there. How do you think that he's handled that?
BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, just playing with him in college was crazy always. He always had a posse almost of reporters following him, talking with him after practice, after games, after everything really. He's always been a guy that's done a really great job at that, and that's always been crazy to see really because it's a guy that's super young and having all these people following him, asking him questions and do such a great job at it is pretty cool to me.

It's obviously gotten bigger and bigger as he got here. Just really cool to see him kind of like embrace that and do such a great job with it.

Q. Brandon, how special is it that you get to play with RJ and the guys that have a Canada connection?
BRANDON CLARKE: I would say very, very special. Also, really great for our country. Just proud to be able to play with them and rep our country. Basketball is getting bigger and bigger there. Just really cool the kids back at home will be able to watch and see that.

Q. Have you had any time to chat with them?
BRANDON CLARKE: Just a bit in the morning today. I'm definitely going to talk with them more later. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to chat it up tonight.

Q. If you could steal a skill from an All-Star, what would it be?
BRANDON CLARKE: A skill I could steal? I would probably steal James Harden's shooting. That would be tough if I could do that. I would say Stephen Curry's shooting, but he's not an All-Star this year. But I would say that. That would be really fun to have that talent.

Q. What's it like playing against your teammates?
BRANDON CLARKE: It's going to be weird. Guys I really love playing with. It's definitely going to be weird to play versus them. I'm kind of happy the game isn't super serious, so I don't really have to guard them super, super seriously, but it's still fun to play versus them, and I'm going to try to soak up every moment playing with them.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297