NBA DRAFT

June 23, 2022

Keegan Murray

KEEGAN MURRAY: I'm excited. I'm excited to get down there. I feel like for me, the first thing that I feel like I bring to the Kings is just a winning culture, winning mindset. I think that'll be special for me, to be able to get down there and help them win and see success in that.

So I'm excited to go down there and play with a lot of really good players. I'll open it up for questions.

Q. What's the first thing you're going to buy with your NBA paycheck, and who are you looking forward to playing against?

KEEGAN MURRAY: First thing I'm going to buy with my paycheck, probably pay some bills and some groceries. Nothing crazy. I'm not flashy or anything like that. I'm excited to just -- not anyone specific, just go against all the guys you see on TV, the Hall of Famers that have made their mark on the game already.

I'm excited to compete, and that's the biggest thing, against some of the top guys in the NBA.

Q. What was the moment like and experiencing that with your family, your dad, your mom, Chris?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Yeah, it was special. For me to have them here has been a blessing. For them to hear my name be called on draft night, with my mom, my dad, my sister and my brother here, it's a really cool feeling.

I think I'll never forget it. I'm just glad that I got this opportunity to be in this position I am today. It was all them. It's all I can say is that their hard work throughout the years when I was little helped me be here where I am today.

Q. What do you know about what the Kings organization is trying to do now, and did you get to talk to Mike Brown at all during the process?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Yeah, I got to talk to Coach a little bit. What they're all about is winning. I feel like for me, I bring that winning mentality right away with them. I know they've got a lot of good guys, a lot of pieces right now. What they're doing, that's to get to the playoffs and do damage in the playoffs.

Right now the emphasis is winning, and I feel like I bring that.

Q. They have a fellow Iowan on their roster in Harrison Barnes. Do you have a relationship with Harrison? Have you talked to him at all? What's that feel like to have another guy from the state of Iowa on the roster?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Yeah, I think that'll be special. There's not many guys that come out of Iowa and are in the league. For him to come out of Ames and do what he's done in the league and have the really great career is really special.

I'm excited to get to know him a little bit. He's my teammate. Just excited because Iowa kind of has a different feel to it. I'm going to get down there and just try to build a great relationship with all the guys. With Harrison, it'll be really cool. It'll be special, for sure.

Q. How excited are you to play alongside guys like D'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Harrison Barnes?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Yeah, I think playing alongside them, they all have experience and they've all been there. I think for me it's about learning from them and kind of being that guy that is always on their shoulder, always learning, things like that, to adjust to the league.

I feel like it'll be really good for me and my career to be going into that scene, and I'm excited to get to work, for sure.

Q. With all the fuss about Jaden Ivey and now you're the fourth pick that Sacramento made, do you feel you have a chip on your shoulder to prove that they made the right choice?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Yeah, I always have a chip on my shoulder. I mean, three years ago I was an unranked recruit going to Iowa, and I'll never forget that feeling.

For me, I'll have that chip on my shoulder no matter what. I know that greatness takes time and I know that I have a long ways to go in my development as a basketball player, so for me it's being able to be the best version of myself and get down there and see what happens. I really think it'll be good.

Q. You're now the highest drafted player in the history of the University of Iowa basketball program. What does that mean to you?

KEEGAN MURRAY: It's a great feeling. Especially to do that in two years. It's special. I've grown up next to University of Iowa, live 25 minutes away from it growing up. To have that under my belt I feel like is really special because a lot of great players have came through.

For me, I wear it with pride. It's just it builds for future generations, for the Iowa basketball program, and it shows that you can come here and be special. It's not the most glamorous place in the world, but we get the job done.

For me, it's a really great feeling.