NBA ALL-STAR RISING STARS

February 18, 2022

Precious Achiuwa

Team Isiah

Press Conference

Team Barry 25, Team Isiah 20

Q. Hey, Precious, I am from Brazil. Can you send a message to your friends there?

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: Of course. Of course. How do you say hello in Brazil? Olá? Olá. Hey, I just want to say shout out to all our fans from Brazil. I wish I could speak some Portuguese right now, but I'm still brushing up on that, but in the future when I'm good, I'm going to say something in Portuguese.

Thank you, guys, for supporting us. We really appreciate you guys, and we are really, really grateful. Thank you.

Q. Can you send a message especially for young kids in Brazil talking about your background, when you started playing basketball, because you have a lot of people that try to play basketball on the streets and courts they don't have the opportunity.

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: Yeah, of course. Like myself, I didn't have a lot growing up. I wasn't familiar with the game of basketball. I just kept working, and opportunities presented itself, and then I found myself, I was able to take advantage of the opportunities.

At the end of the day it comes down to hard work. Other kids in Brazil, keep working, believe in your goals, just like I did, and it's eventually it’s going to pay off one day.

Q. What was your experience like today?

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: It was a great experience. Out there playing the game, having fun. I really, really wanted to win that last game. It was probably about three or four possessions that didn't go our way. Had they gone our way, we would have won the game easily, but it's the game of basketball. The most important thing is to go out there and have fun and enjoy playing against each other.

Q. You represent Toronto. Also, you represent Nigeria. Do you feel like that?

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: I represent Nigeria. I represent Rivers State. I represent Port Harcourt, the city that I'm from. I know there's a lot of kids back home that look up to me and want to be in the position that I am today, and I'm a role model to a lot of kids whether I like it or not. So, I have to keep doing the things that I'm doing, being positive, and just continue to work hard, just so I can keep being an inspiration to those kids.

Q. As you try to make the playoffs, how do you see your chances?

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: I think we're in a good position right now. We're playing our best basketball so far this season, and we're in a groove. We're understanding each other. We're enjoying each other's success. We're building great chemistry and right now we're on a good run. We have to keep building up on that.

Q. It's been a long, long, long day. How are you feeling?

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: I'm so tired. I'm exhausted. The good thing today is I was having fun, and that's the most important thing out there and have fun and enjoy the game of basketball. Once I stop playing basketball, the extra stuff went out the window.

Q. Nice having the next few days off.

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: Absolutely, I needed that. I needed that.