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NBA DRAFT


June 28, 2012


Jeremy Lamb


NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q.  If you would start with opening remarks about being drafted by the Rockets, please.
JEREMY LAMB:  First of all, I just want to thank God.  During the workout process, I sprained my ankle and God blessed me to come back with a speedy recovery, and be able to work out.
Went up to Houston, really started a relationship with them.  It's a really good program and a good coach, and they seem like they are really in order, and it's a great honor.

Q.  There's good depth on the Rockets' team; talk about how your outside shooting can contribute to that.
JEREMY LAMB:  I think shooting, I can stretch the floor.  You know, I can add scoring, and also on the defensive ends, on the rebound, get deflection and get the break; find a couple of guys that I can look up to; ask questions; learn from them.
So being able to go to a good organization is huge.

Q.  And also, playing under a Hall of Famer like Kevin McHale, how exciting is that?
JEREMY LAMB:  Yeah, I've met him plenty of times, and a great guy.  So being able to learn from, like you said, a Hall of Fame coach and just be able to, my first year, be coached by a great coach like that is just‑‑ is a blessing.

Q.  You have got Kevin Martin and Courtney Lee, a lot of guys who play the way you play; are you ready to take some minutes away?
JEREMY LAMB:  I am ready to go work hard.  I'm not saying I'm going to go take their minutes, but I'm not going to go and settle.  I'm going to go there and be ready to work hard and do what it takes.

Q.  When you left the meeting with the Rockets yesterday, did you know they were going to pick you and did they tell you they would?  How tough was it, everybody kind of doubting you with the ankle injury and everything, was that tough for you to listen to that for a few days?
JEREMY LAMB:  When I left the meeting, I had no idea.  I thought we did have a good meeting, though.  You know, it was tough with the ankle.  But I think it was almost a good thing, because people try to doubt my heart, doubt my competitiveness, and the whole time I competed when I was working out on a bad ankle.
It just showed my competitiveness and that I always want to push myself.

Q.  We saw you in the Green Room kind of sweating and seeing guys going ahead of you, and you're one of the last guys left out there.  What's that like sitting there waiting and seeing other guys go ahead of you?
JEREMY LAMB:  It was tough.  I was just waiting.  I was like, man, you know, I was just waiting.  But you know, you see people go in front of you, and you're happy for them, as well, but as time goes on, it was only the‑‑ it was still in the lottery and I was sweating.  That was just me being anxious and nervous, but once I heard my name called, it was one of the greatest feelings.

Q.  I was wondering for a lot of guys, it's the first job they will ever had; have you ever had another job as a youth?  I know your dad is a pastor.  Have you ever been involved with another type of job?  A paying job?
JEREMY LAMB:  Other than like working at camps and stuff like that?  I've worked at camps before.  I've worked at a baseball field doing the concession stands and stuff like that.  But that's about it.

Q.  What baseball field?  How much were you paid?
JEREMY LAMB:  It was a long time ago.  I have no idea what field but‑‑ I don't even remember how much I was getting paid.  But back then I thought it was a lot of money.  I was probably getting paid $5 an hour or something.

Q.  Doing something like that, how does it form you into the person you are today, when you're about to make way more than $5 a day, how does it shape you as a person?
JEREMY LAMB:  It teaches you discipline, knowing you've got to get there on time.  Once you get a little bit of money, you have to learn to manage your money.  I've always been good with managing my money.  Now that I'm going to get a little more, I have to be disciplined and that played a part in it.

Q.  What did you learn at the University of Connecticut and from Coach Calhoun that you think will serve you best in the NBA?
JEREMY LAMB:  Coach Calhoun was a tough coach to play for, but a great coach to play for.  I was struggling, and Coach always believed in me.  You know, he was always in my head.  He got me mentally tough.  He pushed me to the limit.  When I thought I was working hard, he showed me that I wasn't.  He always told me that I wasn't.
My freshman year, got to play with Kemba Walker, great point guard, and I learned a lot from him.  So my whole time at UConn was a huge learning experience and a time for me to get tougher.

Q.  Your competitive nature, is it big to disseminate that against your teammates?  Are you big on having to focus and work hard?
JEREMY LAMB:  I'm not the type to go curse my teammates out.  I'm the type to pull them aside and let them know what they are doing.  I'm not the type to get all hyped, but I will tell you and I will try to lead you in that way.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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