NBA DRAFT

June 26, 2024

Pacome Dadiet

Q. What's this night been like for you, and were you expecting to end up with a Knicks hat on?

PACÔME DADIET: Honestly, the workout went pretty well. I knew they were interested, but until the last minute, I didn't know where I was going. I'm very excited to start working. I can't wait.

Q. Do you plan on playing here next year? Do you plan on taking more time in Europe?

PACÔME DADIET: No. I'm planning on playing here.

Q. What was the workout like for you and how did you get to know the organization? What do you know about them now?

PACÔME DADIET: Obviously, I talked to the people over there. I got to learn more about the team.

I was in the facility, everything. They showed me around. It was nice.

Q. You took chances. Playing in Germany. Staying in the draft. Even though people were expecting you to maybe be in the second round and ending up here. How did you feel about the journey?

PACÔME DADIET: I think it's beautiful. I took a lot of risk. I left France when I was 17. So I did the last two years in Germany. I felt like it was a risk, and I believed in myself. I worked a lot and stayed confident.

Q. Talk about this draft being four players out of France in the first round and three of which were in the top six, and what does that say about basketball in France and all the people looking up to you guys?

PACÔME DADIET: Yeah, it's kind of crazy. I played with everybody. It's nice seeing your country being one of the most represented in the NBA. I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of everybody. The French people that went to the NBA, it's big. It's coming from a different continent. We have to really work to get there. Yeah, I'm really proud of everybody.

Q. Growing up in France originally, who were your basketball inspirations and who made you fall in love with basketball, whether it was people in your life or professional players that kind of inspired and you motivated to you get better?

PACÔME DADIET: First, I would definitely say my brother, six years older. He was already playing basketball. But my first favorite player was probably KD.

Q. Obviously a lot of Knicks fans have not been able to watch your games. How would you describe your game? And when you look at the makeup of this team, how do you see yourself fitting into what the Knicks are trying to do?

PACÔME DADIET: I think I'm really versatile, but I can also bring what a rookie needs to bring in a team. Bring some energy. Being able to grab a rebound, push the ball but also knock down shots. I think it's very important for a rookie to bring these things.

Q. Do you know anybody in the organization or any players with the team? Did you get any face-to-face time with Thibs and get to know him? What are your expectations there?

PACÔME DADIET: I don't know anybody personally on the team. But I talked with the coach, yeah.

And yeah, it was nice to see him. I'm used to seeing him on TV. It was a little different, but I enjoyed it.