NBA DRAFT

November 18, 2020

Isaac Okoro

Q. Isaac, congratulations. Just wanted to get your thoughts on how you're going to fit in in Cleveland next to Sexton and Garland, and what do you make of people saying you're the best defensive wing in this draft?

ISAAC OKORO: I feel like I could fit alongside Sexton and Garland by just running the floor, getting in quick buckets, and I feel like I am the best defensive player in this draft. Like I'm able to switch off one through four and still hold my ground.

Q. Isaac, congratulations on your big night, man. When did you get the sense that the Cavs were truly interested in taking you at No. 5?

ISAAC OKORO: I feel like I had a great workout, a great interview with them. They also took me out to dinner. We just had a great conversation. So I feel like throughout that day, I feel like I had a good sense that they were going to take me.

Q. Isaac, I'm calling from Cleveland too. How do you feel you can help this defense right away? I mean, they've been last in the league for two years.

ISAAC OKORO: I feel like I could take that challenge of guarding the other team's best player and hopefully trying to slow them down or shutting down the game and just giving our guards time to focus on offense and focus on running the floor.

Q. Isaac, as you know, you are the first player of Nigerian origin to be selected in this draft. How does that make you feel especially considering what your mom said about remembering where you come from?

ISAAC OKORO: It feels great to be the first Nigerian in this draft to be drafted. It's also just a blessing. Like you said, my mom always tells me to keep that Nigerian pride. Even though I wasn't born in Nigeria, I still got Nigerian blood. So it's just having that on my shoulders.

Q. What are your goals about next season? How excited are you to be part of a team with players like Andre Drummond and Kevin Love?

ISAAC OKORO: I feel like my goal for this year is to help the Cavaliers get back to the playoffs. Just do anything to help us win and get back to the playoffs.

And I feel like I could be great playing alongside Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, knowing that they're veterans. Just going in there and talking to them, getting advice from them, I feel like that will help me out.

Q. Hi, Isaac, congratulations. You obviously have an existing connection with Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton. How excited are you to be playing with somebody you already know?

ISAAC OKORO: That's great, going in and we already have that chemistry and that connection. So I'm just going in and asking him questions about the league and how I can fill my role on the team. Will be a great start for me.

Q. The Cavs, one of the positions that they've been really lacking is at the wing, which is where you fill in really well. Offensively, what about your game do you think that you can bring on that end of the floor to really help just kind of fill that gap for them?

ISAAC OKORO: I feel like just my attacking-the-rim ability, being able to force mismatches and post smaller guards up and take bigger guards off the dribble, and also just my play-making abilities, being able to find open the teammates and being able to get them open shots.

Q. How different is it going to be getting ready for the start of this season in just over a month from today? I mean, especially for rookies this year. This is a different year, you know.

ISAAC OKORO: Yeah, it's going to be different, but you know, I'm ready for it. We've had a long time to go into workout mode and get better at our game. So just coming in right now, I feel like I'm ready for it.

Q. Congratulations, Isaac. What over the course of the last almost a year now, going on a year that you've actually played a game, did you specifically work on to get yourself ready for this NBA Draft? What specifically did you work on to get yourself ready for the draft?

ISAAC OKORO: I would say I didn't just work on one thing. I worked on all aspects of my game. Because I know coming into the NBA, you have to have a polished game. So I worked on my shooting, strengthening my strengths, just working on my passing, working on slide defense, and just playing pick-up game.

Q. Thanks, War Eagle.

ISAAC OKORO: War Eagle.