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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 23, 2016

Enes Kanter

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Q. Have you been able to communicate with your parents --
ENES KANTER: That's the first question you ask me? Come on, man.

Q. Have you been able to communicate with your parents since early the summer when the news came out?
ENES KANTER: No.

Q. Okay. Well, do you know if it was your family's wishes for that to happen or if it was in any way influenced by the Turkish government?
ENES KANTER: Let me tell you this. This is a really, really confusing thing. I mean, if I sit here and tell you guys about it, like 30 minutes, 45 minutes, whatever, I understand your point that you guys are probably not going to understand it because I have to sit down and talk with you guys.

So I mean, if you guys don't mind, let's focus on basketball. But the problem is, in the future, you guys will talk about, because it will probably be a crazy story and we'll definitely sit down and talk about it.

Q. Focusing on basketball, what has it been like to come back to basketball after having all of that go on in your personal life?
ENES KANTER: It's nice, man. I was so super excited when my plane was landing in OKC and I saw the city, I saw the people walking around. I saw my teammates. It's just like, you know, it's really nice that you go through all these things, when you come back to Oklahoma and you're seeing your family here.

You know, after all that's happened, people were like Tweeting me and sending me messages, hey, I have an extra before he had, if you want to come join our family, we have an extra bed, if you want to come. It's just so nice knowing that you have another family here. Because I mean, this Oklahoma gave me a lot. It's not about, you know, playing basketball. It's not just all about you know making money, making basketball, whatever. Seriously this city gave me a lot, these fans gave me a lot and I just can't explain in words how much they gave me.

Q. Do you see your role changing this season, considering the changes in the off-season?
ENES KANTER: Well, we'll see. I mean, that's the coach, he's going to make that decision. But whatever role they give me, I'm just going to go out there and do my job.

Q. There was an idea that at certain times during the season that you could have been finishing games instead of Serge. Do you feel like your more comfortable finishes games now and the progress you've made defensively?
ENES KANTER: Oh, definitely. I feel so much comfortable on the court. I always like to give the credit to my teammates, my coaches, and the fans. So they make me feel so much comfortable out there defensively and offensively.

So whenever I'm out there, I'm like, man, I can do this, I can finish the games, and especially defensive series. So I felt so much comfortable out there.

Q. If you remember when you arrived at the Thunder for the first time, Russell Westbrook was the go-to guy on the court due to injury. Have you thought back to that time and going forward, are you confident enough in his leadership with the team with the loss of Kevin Durant?
ENES KANTER: He was our leader last year, too. Yeah, he was our leader last year, too, and you know, he helped us a lot. You know what, the only thing is just, you know, he's leading this team really well and I just love playing with him.

Q. Do you think without Kevin and with all the new faces that it's going to take quite a while to find an identity for this club?
ENES KANTER: I think a little bit, you know, that's why we have training camp. That's why we have preseasons, but I think all these new faces, all these new young guys, I think it's really exciting season coming up for us.

Q. Obviously it's a team that's full of big mans -- and I think it's going to be an advantage for the Thunder coming into this year -- we have a lot of big man, so that means we have a lot of physicality down the block. I think the only thing we can do is just, do what I've been doing, going out there, be physical, bruise people, and just go out there and play a ton of basketball.
Q. Will at some point the Blues Brothers, will that be a new name coming out?
ENES KANTER: I have no idea, we have a lot of names now. Blues Brothers could be it.

Q. You've also in addition to being the inside Blues Brother like we just described, you've also showed the ability on the three point line, do you see that continuing to evolve?
ENES KANTER: I think last year, when I played with Steven on the court, I would just say just he was rolling more, so I think that create more space for him and for Russell just going down (inaudible) I think that was pretty cool.

Q. How have you seen Steven develop in the time you've been together?
ENES KANTER: One thing he's doing, he's just enjoying basketball, man. He's working hard. He's enjoying basketball and he's just working hard and just going out there and doing his job. He isn't worry about stats, just wants to win. He just wants to win and the best he wants to be and I think he's doing a really good job.

Q. There's going to be a need for offense and you're a great offensive player, but with the power forward spot being open, do you feel like you want to go into that starting position and do you feel comfortable with that sixth-man role that you carved out last year?
ENES KANTER: I think that is just what Coach is going to decide and whatever they give me starting, come from the bench, I think our focus should be on the winning. I think we just have to just go out there and doesn't matter, I think that's what play taught me last year. You can't be selfish if you want to win a championship. I think like I said again, of course everyone wants to start, everyone wants to play for 48 minutes, but if you want to win a championship, you have to give up some stats maybe, you have to give up minutes and that's what we're here for, is to win.

Q. I know you've worked really hard on both sides of the ball, but in the off-season, defense is so much about playing within the team and being in the right spot, so in the off-season when you're not with nine other guys you're going to play with, how do you work on defense?
ENES KANTER: I think I worked on the legs a lot. I think that's the key, just get faster, side to side, just get the legs stronger. That's what I was working on.

Q. Have you met (inaudible)?
ENES KANTER: I've never met him before, he was not -- I don't really know him that well but now I'm just trying to get to know him.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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