NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CLIPPERS VS. SUNS

June 27, 2021

Abdel Nader

Phoenix Suns

Practice Day

Q. It's been a long road to get you back out on the court. What was that like to not only play, but play in the Western Conference Finals?

ABDEL NADER: It was a dream come true. I'm extremely grateful to the training staff for getting me right, for the coaching staff for trusting in me and believing in me just to throw me in there my first day back. Extremely blessed and grateful.

Q. At what point during the rehab process did you maybe start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, like you know what, if we can get this far, maybe, just maybe I'll be able to play again this year?

ABDEL NADER: It's funny. I was talking to Book like a week ago. I was just doing some rehab in the weight room and he walks by and he's like, "How much time you need, man?" I'm like, "Whatever you can spare."

I think around that time, it was like a week or two ago, I was starting to feel real good again. That's when I thought there was the possibility for a comeback.

Q. What do you feel like you can contribute now that you guys are so deep in the playoffs?

ABDEL NADER: I think I just bring my versatility, whether that's locking up somebody on the defensive end, guarding one of their perimeter players or forwards, just coming in and making shots and attacking the rim. Whatever I can bring that night, whatever the team needs that night from me, I'm grateful to be back out there and bring whatever I need to.

Q. What was the key to you staying engaged to put yourself in position that, okay, we made it far enough, your knee is good and you're ready to go out there and contribute?

ABDEL NADER: I just take things one day at a time. I wasn't even looking that far. I was trying to do everything in my power not to get the surgery done. But my knee wasn't getting better fast enough, so we figured this is the best alternative to get me healthy.

It was the right choice. I feel amazing now, back to normal. Like I said, just blessed to have a team that could make it this far and give me the opportunity to come back.

Q. You're obviously still very engaged. You're in film sessions, meetings, watching practice, watching games. As someone who has been in it but also doing a lot of watching the last few months, what's most impressed you about the way that this team has progressed? How would you describe what this whole ride has been like?

ABDEL NADER: I think it's a really special thing. We have, 1 through 15, great guys in the locker room, high-character guys. We've had some hiccups. Our road has not been perfect at all, with CP's stuff that happened early in the playoffs and a bunch of nagging injuries. Cam [Payne] rolled his ankle but was able to come back. It just goes to show we are a cohesive unit. If one guy goes down, it's the next guy up and we believe in the next guy. We believe in our unit as a whole. I think that's the most unique thing with us. Everybody is on the same page and that's what makes the team special.

Q. We talk about Chris' leadership a lot. But how big of an impact does a guy like Jae Crowder, who has been through the playoffs his entire career, have on this locker room and how important has his voice been for you guys?

ABDEL NADER: It's been amazing. He's very vocal just like C [Chris Paul]. If he sees something that he believes isn't right, it's usually not right. He speaks on it, not in a negative way, just very positively and teaches, just like C. They're both really -- Jae is nine years in and C is 25, 30 hundred thousand years in [laughs]. So they have a lot to teach, and we have young guys that listen. That's a special thing.