NBA FINALS: LAKERS VS. HEAT

October 8, 2020

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Los Angeles Lakers

Practice Day

Q. How big of a boost did you get from Game 4 and your great performance? And also, how special for you is it to play with Mamba uniform?

KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE: To answer your first question, you know, last game was just me bringing the great energy that I always have, being relaxed and calm, ready to shoot, and just being an animal on the defensive end; trying to stay attached to their players as much as possible with great energy, and try to take that and go into Game 5 with the same type energy.

And just to be playing in the Mamba jersey means -- it's humbling to us and means a lot. We say we don't want to lose in the Mamba jerseys, which we haven't done yet, so, you know, we’re here to take the last game.

Q. Just wondering, I think your family is the bubble with you. What's it been like to have your family here after not being around them for so long and to share this moment, this Finals run, and what routine do you guys have inside the bubble?

KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE: Well, my family is not all here. Just my wife. The kids are still back home.

But just to have my wife here means a lot. We don't get this time to spend alone as much when we are home with the kids. Pretty much the same routine for us. We just have more alone time where we can just be with each other, the time we don't get at home.

Q. Obviously Lakers fans are everywhere far and wide, but you guys, what's it like to kind of be without your fan base in a moment like this?

KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE: It’s heartbreaking. We really wanted to feel that this energy coming from the crowd, from the fans. But, you know, we can feel it all the way in Orlando in the bubble. We know you're all out there cheering for us, rooting for us, all very happy for us.

Just to have that type of experience, it would have been great, but we're going to make the best of it. We feel all the love, energy from our fans back home.

Q. What's it going to take to close out this series tomorrow?

KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE: A lot of energy, a lot of effort, less mistakes than we had Game 4, and we got to just -- we got to be on it on both end of the floor. We got to withstand each run that Miami goes on. We got to try to play solid defense and try to limit them to -- limit them as much as possible.

Q. Kyle Kuzma was talking about what he learned in the bubble is he doesn't have to spend as much money. Is there any lessons like that for you from this experience?

KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE: That's great. I would definitely say -- that a lesson right there from me as well. You know, last three, four months I've probably saved a lot of money that I wouldn’t have if was outside of the bubble.

That's very true. But for him to say that, you know, he's young. At least he's learning to save money. Yeah, and I can see that. That is true. Money is really just going right into your account and just sitting there.