WEBVTT - TOM's Talks | An Interview With Furkan Korkmaz 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.880 search seventy Sixers podcast wherever you get your pods. On 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:11.959 this week's edition of Tom's Talks, we visit with seventy 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:16.640 six Ers shooting guard Forward Furkon Corkmise. Furkon has become 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:20.160 a key player among the seventy Sixers reserves. His three 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:23.280 point shooting has played a big part in the team's 0:00:23.320 --> 0:00:26.279 success so far this season. Corkmiles at a corner. He 0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:28.400 receives it, he dribbles, he shoots, he's open, it's in 0:00:28.440 --> 0:00:31.280 the air. He good. He makes him at point four ago, 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:35.279 the Sixers have tied in at ninety three. Corkmis grew 0:00:35.360 --> 0:00:39.320 up in Turkey and at fifteen years old started earning 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:42.920 a paycheck to play basketball. He sits down to talk 0:00:42.960 --> 0:00:49.280 about that and more on Tom's Talks. Well, Furkon, thanks 0:00:49.280 --> 0:00:51.639 for doing this and welcome to what we call Tom's 0:00:51.680 --> 0:00:55.040 Talks my podcast. I'm sure it was nice to have 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:57.200 a day off yesterday after a bit of a busy 0:00:57.280 --> 0:01:01.680 stretch to restart the season. Finitely, we got some recovery time. 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:05.680 As you said, nice off day. How would you assess 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:10.800 or describe the season in general terms, a new coach, 0:01:11.520 --> 0:01:16.399 some new teammates, the restrictions, the testing, the discipline it 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:18.959 takes to go through this season. How would you describe 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:22.360 all that? I think I want to start from last 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:25.520 year from Orlando, we said all new game. You know, 0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:28.040 I think this year was all new game for the Sixers, 0:01:28.400 --> 0:01:32.560 for the organization. We had like similar phases, similar players, 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:36.640 but like I think overall we had a total different 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:40.400 culture this year. You know that came in. He changed 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:43.080 a lot that Murray. You know, a lot of new 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:45.600 people in the organization. I've been here for four years, 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:48.680 but I've seen a lot of phases. I think overall 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:52.000 this year is going well for us. I gotta be honest, like, 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:55.320 I think we did a really good job until we 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:57.200 lost against me what you were in the first seed. 0:01:57.280 --> 0:01:59.720 You know, things happened. Of course we're gonna lose some games. 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:02.680 We can not in every game, every games, but overall 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:04.920 really good. I think we have a really good chemistry 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:06.400 on the court of the court. We have a really 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:09.679 good friendship in the team. And you can tell in 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:12.280 the games too. You know, we are more connected, we 0:02:12.360 --> 0:02:16.040 have a better team, better fit. The fourth quarters have 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:19.160 been really good and I know you lost that Milwaukee game, 0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:21.920 but you know when you go back to your the 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:24.560 game in Portland, which feels like years ago, but you 0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:27.280 hit the game winning shot November two and twenty nineteen, 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:30.400 you hit the game time shot. The force over time 0:02:30.880 --> 0:02:33.360 has to feel good to ab in those positions and 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:35.600 then b to be able to deliver for your team. 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:40.280 It was a lot because for me, you know, because 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:43.600 it was a similar position, and at the end of 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:46.760 the day, we couldn't really celebrate it. You know, when 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:48.360 I go back home, I was a little bit like 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:51.760 my heartbart broken because we couldn't celebrate it. I made 0:02:51.840 --> 0:02:53.400 the tree, but at the end of the day, we 0:02:53.480 --> 0:02:56.200 lost the game. But I think overall, Mewike is really 0:02:56.200 --> 0:02:58.320 good team. I think for ourself, we did a really 0:02:58.320 --> 0:03:01.560 good job keeping them off the glass. We take everything 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:03.960 away from them and that second health and they just 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:06.440 get into rhythm. We couldn't stop them, and then we 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:09.360 couldn't show our chem city for the second health. But 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:12.920 of course end of today we played that second health. 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:14.520 But if we had a chance to win the game, 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:16.200 I think that makes us a good team. You know, 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:19.520 we knew that we got a chance, and then we 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:21.399 could win it. I think this is the possible part. 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:25.200 But you were able to celebrate after that game winning 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:27.680 shot in Portland. Like I said, it was early in 0:03:27.720 --> 0:03:32.080 the season, a year ago. It was November second, and 0:03:32.200 --> 0:03:35.280 you make the game winning shot, your teammates surround you. 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:39.360 What was that feeling? Like that was one of the memories. 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:42.440 I felt like, Okay, now I'm part of part of 0:03:42.440 --> 0:03:45.560 this league. You know, because when I was growing up, 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:47.920 I was of course thinking about like scoring twenty points, 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:51.000 thirty points in a game. But there's not a better 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:54.119 moment than winning the game, you know, making the game 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.200 meaning shots. That was all my dream. I was dreaming 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:01.400 about it. And then that feels just like different. I 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:03.640 know it was the Summer League, but you had that 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:07.320 forty point game against Boston in twenty eighteen, the first 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:09.000 Summer League game, and it was one of the best 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:13.600 performances ever scoring wise out there, and you scored in 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:16.280 a variety of ways. I mean, sometimes people think you're 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:18.919 just to catch and shoot. Guy, did that help? I 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:20.880 know it was rookie, I mean Summer League, But did 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:24.559 that helped establish your confidence to go in the NBA 0:04:24.600 --> 0:04:27.920 and score like that? Yeah? Definitely, Because Smer League is 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:31.440 kind of getting ready for the league. Everybody's watching you 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:34.640 old EISO or you know, when the teams they scut you. 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:37.400 They know everything what you can do, but sometimes you 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:40.279 do the things which they don't expect you to do, 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:43.120 and then that makes you look different, That makes you 0:04:43.760 --> 0:04:47.120 makes different on the court, that game of force confidence. 0:04:47.720 --> 0:04:50.080 During the summers, I'm playing with the national team. That's 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:52.080 also helped me getting the rhythm, get in the shape 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:55.440 before the season starts. So I think those summer leagues 0:04:55.440 --> 0:04:58.480 and national teams was hug part of me getting in 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:02.120 this process. And then your best back to back games 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.000 were last year. He had thirty four career high against 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:09.400 Memphis and thirty one against Chicago. To do it back 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:13.160 to back had to be pretty good as well, right, Yeah, definitely, 0:05:13.279 --> 0:05:15.760 I can. I can say that I was feeling really good. 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:18.000 I was feeling it and we were winning. You know, 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:20.960 if we were rolling on that time, that also makes 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:25.279 it more valuable for you because sometimes you score, you 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:27.760 celebrated your own, but you don't in the game. You know, 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:30.960 that's kind of tricky, But when you play good when 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:34.800 your team winning, it's it's totally different. Fun. Let's go 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:37.760 back a little bit you grew up in Turkey and 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:40.400 you start playing basketball when you're like nine years old, 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:44.159 But when you're fifteen and br us in America explain 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:48.239 it's like, you know, you joined the FI program and 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:51.119 you become a player, but you're with your their youth 0:05:51.160 --> 0:05:54.640 and junior team. And the number associated with that was 0:05:54.680 --> 0:05:57.000 two hundred and fifty thousand. So do you start getting 0:05:57.000 --> 0:06:00.080 paid when you're fifteen years old even though you're on 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:03.520 a junior team. I was getting paid. I was also 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:06.280 surprised because when I was playing as a kid, I 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:09.640 was not thinking about the like professional contracts, those moneys. 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:12.240 You know, money was not even like subject for us. 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:14.359 And then my agent. I met with the agent, his 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:17.919 name is Attila, and then he said, is offering you 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:20.600 this money? You know? And I was like, fifteen, and 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:22.719 you can go play for the same or team you 0:06:22.760 --> 0:06:25.360 can get paid. But my team was like I was 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:27.800 playing for fun. I was not really thinking about professional 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:29.720 From that point on, I was like, Okay, I'm gonna 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:32.440 make money from this job, you know. I started looking 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:36.520 at his job, and then the life was all different 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:39.320 for me because in the same time, you gotta deal 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:41.320 with the school, you know, you gotta go to college, 0:06:41.640 --> 0:06:43.760 do this whole stuff. The European system was a little 0:06:43.760 --> 0:06:47.039 different than here because it's hard to handle college and 0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:52.279 professional life, I would say, and that's how the story goes. 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:56.120 What was life like in Turkey growing up until, like, 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:59.400 for example, to fifteen years old? What your parents do? 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:03.320 What was your town like? What was like like my parents? 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:05.880 My mom was Hope's wife all the time. After she 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:10.600 got married, she stopped working. But my dad, I remember him. 0:07:10.600 --> 0:07:12.720 He was like waking up at like five thirty six 0:07:12.720 --> 0:07:14.560 am in the morning. He was coming back home like 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:17.440 eleven pm and then three or four hours sleep again, 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:20.200 go back to work. You know, he was like really 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:23.040 working hard. I really appreciate him. When I was growing up, 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:26.200 I see that his hard work and then makes me more. 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:30.320 I appreciated what I got right now. And after I 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:33.560 started playing basketball like a professionally, you know, after I 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:36.480 get a contract, life a little change because everybody was 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:39.880 all my kids, all my friends on the streets. Those 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:41.960 kids they were playing on the street, you know, they 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:44.360 were playing soccer. But I need to come back home, 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:46.400 I need to rest, you know again, wake up in 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:49.800 the morning. Practice. I was not like visiting my family 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:54.040 friends anymore, you know, not playing those games anymore because 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:56.720 I gotta take care of my body. I gotta be professional, 0:07:56.760 --> 0:07:59.000 you know, I gotta do practice three hours, five hours, 0:07:59.040 --> 0:08:01.280 eight hours whatever, go to school. At the same time, 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:04.640 I had more responsibility when I was fifteen than dollars kids, 0:08:04.680 --> 0:08:08.480 So I was amadable. You're six seven. Where do you 0:08:08.520 --> 0:08:11.600 think you got your height from? I mean, I'm still 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:13.240 trying to figure it out. You know, I don't know 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:16.240 yet too. But my dad is not that tall. He's told, 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:20.080 but not that tall. My mom is also, she's like 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:24.520 a little bit maybe over average. But I don't have 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:29.280 like short family, but not like tall family. Too. Worked 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:33.880 out for you, right, So you mentioned, you know, playing 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:35.800 when you were fifteen, So then one of the big 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:40.160 things was playing like the Euro the FIBA euro tournaments, 0:08:40.200 --> 0:08:44.040 the U eighteens, and you won the gold in fourteen 0:08:44.200 --> 0:08:46.800 and fifteen you come back and get a silver and 0:08:46.920 --> 0:08:50.120 we can talk about the international competitions with the Turkish 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:52.680 national team. But just this young player to play with 0:08:52.720 --> 0:08:56.480 the best people in your country and compete across Europe 0:08:56.480 --> 0:08:59.040 in those tournaments and then to win it that one year, 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:02.920 what was that like? I think the national team gives 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:07.719 you a lot, you know, I think teaches you more competition, 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:10.440 how to be competitive, you know, because in the national 0:09:10.440 --> 0:09:13.560 team level, every team is good, Like doesn't matter who 0:09:13.559 --> 0:09:15.520 you have on the team. Every team is competing, every 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:20.160 team is representing their country. So the competition is more valuable. 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:23.040 And it's also a kind of a little bit show 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:25.760 business tips because you are representing yourself too. All the 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:30.640 scouting scouts are watching. And I remember one summer I 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:32.760 played for the three different national teams, like saying, your 0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:38.360 team under nineteen, under twenty whatever, like three different championships, 0:09:38.400 --> 0:09:41.360 and then that helps me a lot to get experience more, 0:09:41.559 --> 0:09:44.319 to learn again more and then make my name more, 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:46.839 you know, and also I represent my country. I was 0:09:46.880 --> 0:09:49.400 like one of the maybe like this guy to play 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:55.199 like three different categories. So then when you start playing 0:09:55.200 --> 0:09:58.200 with EPs, you know, with the big guys, and you 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:01.319 make that transition, you're one of the best young players. 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:04.640 You were voting the best young player. What was that 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:07.319 transition like where now you are playing with men and 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:10.360 you're playing professional basketball. All that time when I was 0:10:10.360 --> 0:10:13.440 playing for the FS, I didn't think I'm gonna have 0:10:13.520 --> 0:10:16.520 enough enough chance, enough opportunity with the FS. Then I 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:18.200 told I got to make some decisions. You know, I 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:20.760 got a site to phrase something. And then I told 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:22.440 my agent, like I need to play. I gotta go 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:24.320 somewhere else, you know, to play, because I knew that 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:26.520 I'm not gonna play that anymore, just like three or 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:28.640 five minutes. Sometimes that's not gonna be enough for me too, 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:31.560 if I want to make an NBA. And then we 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:34.400 decided to go to bomb it, and then the trade happened. 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:38.000 I went to bombit and I got my maybe career year. 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:43.640 You know that four or five months makes me different players. 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:46.120 I grow up more. I learned the game more because 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:48.360 as a young player, you are playing. Yes, you are 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:50.120 playing the game, but you don't know the game. It's 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:53.079 differently they play and you know the game. Right now, 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:54.600 when I have the ball, I feel like I have 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:57.719 ten seconds to decide, you know, But when you when 0:10:57.720 --> 0:10:59.600 you are as a kid, you feel like I just 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:02.280 once to decide. I think that's the experience comes in. 0:11:03.280 --> 0:11:06.040 You were drafted in twenty sixteen by the Sixers with 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:09.960 the twenty sixth pick, but you opted to stay. What 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:13.480 was that decision like to stay in Europe? And then 0:11:13.559 --> 0:11:16.800 also when you made the decision to come to Philadelphia 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:19.640 and start your NBA career. To be honest, the reason 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:23.360 that I stayed I didn't feel ready to come into NBA. 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:25.200 You know, on the court, off the court, I just 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:28.640 didn't feel ready. I don't think my body was ready 0:11:28.679 --> 0:11:30.480 to even like when I got the NBA, my body 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:33.240 was still not ready. I knew that. But here things 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:36.160 that are going quickly. You have a lot of time 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:39.840 individually for the workouts. You know, you can improve yourself more. 0:11:40.600 --> 0:11:43.200 That was one of the reasons that I came the 0:11:43.200 --> 0:11:45.880 following year. I came here the following year because I thought, 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:47.839 here three or four months, it is going to be 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:49.719 really good enough for me to get my body right, 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:52.040 you know, to get used to the league. You know. 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:54.560 Injuries happened, everything happened. I got a little bad luck. 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:57.360 But at the end of today, I think everything worked 0:11:57.360 --> 0:12:01.240 out when you came here. Any and now, have you 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:04.160 found a community or a group of friends that has 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.240 allowed you to have a life outside basketball When you're 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:11.760 away from the court and training, you're in Turks community 0:12:11.920 --> 0:12:16.160 or any kind of community, friends your age people in Philadelphia. 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:19.640 Anytime I met a couple of Turks guys, you know 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:22.719 I met also like good neighborhoods. You know, I got 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:28.760 good neighbors. Like doesn't matter what time or what do 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:30.480 you lieve you are, you are making friends. If you 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:32.679 are good people, you are making friends. And I think 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:34.640 I'm a good people. You know, I find right people, 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:37.720 and I think I'm good at that picking up those 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:40.520 good friends. Because sometimes but here a lot of people 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:42.360 around you, that doesn't mean you are really good people, 0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:46.960 you know. I think that's the decision sometimes you're gonna make. 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:49.959 Also as athletes, because our life is our time is 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:51.640 important too. You know you're gonna spend your time. You 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:54.320 gotta take every buddy. You gotta find their balance. I 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:57.520 think I find it really well now. I know it's 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:01.000 a little different now with the pandemic, but getting out 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:04.520 and about in Philadelphia. But do you get recognized when 0:13:04.559 --> 0:13:07.319 you're on the streets to Philadelphia? Yeah, I do. I do. 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:10.800 I do. Like you're a fan favorite a little bit, right, 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:13.040 Do you feel that vibe? I mean I feel that 0:13:13.240 --> 0:13:16.000 after my first two years, it was a little different scenario. 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:19.080 But the last two years, yeah, it's totally different. Makes 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:20.920 you feel good, right, Yeah, it makes me feel good 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:24.320 of course, you know. I like it. Fans you are 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:27.839 really special. I mean, even though it's not full capacity. 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:30.680 The other night we saw the Gamut. They were in 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:33.280 love and then all of a sudden Das sits on 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:35.320 the court and boom, they were all over that. I mean, 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:37.880 they don't miss a beat here in Philadelphia do that. Yeah. 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:40.520 The point that I recognize is Philip fans are bad. 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:42.800 When you start missing a couple of shots over, when 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:44.920 you play bad the offense, they start booing here you know, 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:48.920 then okay, here they come. You know, right now you're sad. 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:51.200 I mean not that you're sensitive, but like you say, 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:53.920 you're out there and if you're feeling them, definitely that 0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:57.440 makes it gives us a lot of energy. Yeah, yeah, 0:13:57.480 --> 0:14:00.880 definitely are feeling them. There really is like supporting. Here's 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:03.280 like city of support, city of brother in love, you know, 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:05.880 city of competition. So if they want to see the competition, 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:08.240 they want to see that blood on the court, you know, right. 0:14:08.720 --> 0:14:13.239 Speaking of support, Ben Simmons, your teammate was very supportive 0:14:13.280 --> 0:14:16.800 and endorsing you, saying that you could play or you know, 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:20.600 one on one unstoppable, even better than Novitsky. That must 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:26.440 have made you feel good. Yeah, definitely you're not buying that. 0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:32.320 I mean, you know you know how folks Dirk Novisky, 0:14:32.520 --> 0:14:34.720 but you have that, like what That's one of the 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:37.520 things I like about your game, like you you do. 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:41.520 You have the little floaters. You've really worked on that 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:45.880 that bring different aspects to your offensive repertoire, if you 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:50.520 will talk about that. Yeah, sometimes when people knows what 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.120 you can do, you gotta do something different because after 0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:55.280 a couple of games, even like us, let me scot 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:58.160 somebody if you know, like his Kitchen Should, he shows 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:01.360 doable off to balance whatever, So they're taking those away, 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:03.560 you know, the defference are working on it, and then 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:06.240 you're gonna find some solutions to create something for yourself 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:09.680 because sometimes the game is not coming to you. Gotta 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:12.440 go get it, and sometimes the game is just finding you. 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:16.800 And I'm trying to find like my rhythm of my midrange, 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:19.680 my flotters. Again, I know, I think I'm really good 0:15:19.680 --> 0:15:21.680 like it Kitchen Should. But I'm trying to do some 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:25.840 pi can all stuff this year, especially with the second unit. 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:28.520 You know me and Shake, we're handling the ball more 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:31.640 than last year. I think there's biggest difference for me 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:36.200 this year speaking of shake and the second unit. During 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:38.640 this recent sixth game winning streak, you guys were just 0:15:38.720 --> 0:15:42.640 so good and a lot that. I mean, the fortunes 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:46.600 of the team may reflect on how well you guys 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:49.760 are able to continue to score. And I know it's pressure, 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:52.720 but that is pressure. Pressure is part of the NBA. 0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:54.720 Talk about that and how well you guys have been 0:15:54.760 --> 0:15:58.080 able to produce up late off the bench. Yeah, there's 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:00.720 pressure on every game. Like you said, there's pressure the 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:04.920 game of pressure, you know an NBA. And with the seconde, 0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:07.080 I'm saying this every time we have a really good potential, 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:10.600 Like defensively we can't be a really good too. I 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:13.200 don't think people knows that enough. But defensively we can 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:15.720 be really good too, because why this big part of 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:18.360 matiz is a really big part of defense. I think 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:21.400 it's really helpful in offense the same way, like if 0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:25.480 you can play like less five six games, the same way, 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:27.480 if you can keep it up, I think we gotta 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:29.120 be really dangerous for the teams because you know, if 0:16:29.160 --> 0:16:30.560 you know our first year that they're gonna do that 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:33.000 at a job. Sometimes when they're down, we're gonna pick 0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:35.360 them up. Sometimes when we are down, they gotta pick 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:38.880 up us. So it's like a little bit weird, but 0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:43.880 I think overall we have like really good fit. I 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:45.960 want to go back to that thing about pressure a 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:48.960 little bit, because I don't think sometimes the average fan 0:16:49.360 --> 0:16:53.160 realizes what it's like to be a professional player. They 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:57.720 see the salaries, they see you private jets, traveling around 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:01.000 the country and in your case, around the world. But 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:06.639 it's from your coach, it's from your teammates, it's from 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:10.640 I mean, the pressure to execute and produce comes from 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:14.119 all sides. The fans speak to that a little bit. 0:17:14.240 --> 0:17:17.720 How you deal with it, I will say this, it's 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:20.320 a little bit changing from team to teams because we 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:22.600 are playing for the championship, Like there is no better 0:17:22.600 --> 0:17:24.640 pressure than this. You know, every game is so important 0:17:24.640 --> 0:17:27.480 for us. Every position as matters, like we see as 0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:30.679 we saw last night. You know two nights ago we 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:32.639 lost the game by like two or three points. You know, 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:36.320 every position matters. Just one free to row, one tags doctor, 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:39.320 which he's saying this every time, like positions matter, it's 0:17:39.359 --> 0:17:42.000 going to come and hunt you. And that happens in 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:45.720 the NBA every game. Every positions matter. So let's bring 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:48.320 the pressure because you know, you've got to do the 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:50.239 right decision on the positions because it's not the end 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:51.879 of the game. It's going to come and hunt you. 0:17:52.560 --> 0:17:56.880 And I think overall people when they're looking from outside, 0:17:57.000 --> 0:17:58.920 we travel. Like you said, you know, we have been 0:17:59.000 --> 0:18:01.400 living in the good hotel. But in the same time, 0:18:01.400 --> 0:18:03.359 you've got to take care of your buddy. You gotta recover. 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:07.119 You cannot go eat every time. You know, you gotta rest, 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:11.040 you're gonna sleep. You need to be professional. You gotta 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:14.639 be good in the team. You know, when you play bad, 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:17.280 over when you play good, you cannot really change because 0:18:17.440 --> 0:18:19.920 another day is coming, another game is coming. So it's 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:23.000 a lot of pressure too. With that in mind, you 0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:26.000 guys are going to begin a stretch starting over the 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:28.560 weekend as we speak. You know, you play at home 0:18:28.600 --> 0:18:30.040 and then you go to New York and then you're 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:32.960 gonna be out west for that entire week. You're gonna 0:18:33.000 --> 0:18:35.960 come back. Actually, you have a game in Cleveland at 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:37.680 the end of a West coast trip which I've only 0:18:37.720 --> 0:18:40.800 seen once where you have another game tacked on. But 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:43.399 you come home, you play Memphis, and then you go 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:47.520 to Boston, New Orleans, Dallas, Oklahoma. It's a stretch, if 0:18:47.520 --> 0:18:51.359 I'm not mistaken. That's like twenty of twenty three days away, 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:53.320 and I know you got to take it one game 0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:56.360 at a time, but you really have to get yourself 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:59.600 geared up and ready mentally, physically everything. You just spoke 0:18:59.640 --> 0:19:02.160 about taking care of your body and all that. That's 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:04.280 quite a stretched coming up if you thought about that 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:08.600 going forward a little bit. Yeah, like you said, for example, 0:19:08.840 --> 0:19:10.920 playing in the West Coast is a different game, So 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:14.160 you've gotta be focused because I think in West Coast 0:19:14.600 --> 0:19:17.240 game is more faster than you expect. I think in 0:19:17.280 --> 0:19:20.320 East Coast like games a little bit more slower. But 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:22.720 in West Coast everybody's like pushing the ball. You know, 0:19:22.880 --> 0:19:26.040 they're trying to play hard, and you just gotta go 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:28.280 and get the game like that's it. You just gotta 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:30.520 go out there and then let them know that we 0:19:30.600 --> 0:19:33.200 are here to win all these games. You're not letting 0:19:33.359 --> 0:19:34.760 we are not getting an off days here. If we 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:37.239 are not here for vacations, you're just we're not here 0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:38.720 for a good better you know, we are just here 0:19:38.760 --> 0:19:41.480 for the win the game. And when you come back 0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:43.440 to the East Coast again again, it's gonna be the 0:19:43.480 --> 0:19:45.639 same mentality, same goal for us, and it's gonna be 0:19:45.720 --> 0:19:47.800 more and more important because every game is gonna be 0:19:47.840 --> 0:19:50.200 metal at the end of the game and at the 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:53.360 end of the day. Because playoff is on the door already, 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:57.520 so it's gonna be so quick. And then when we 0:19:57.680 --> 0:20:00.760 close and close our eyes and you open it, you 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:03.200 gotta say, Okay, here's the first game of playoffs. Let's go. 0:20:03.359 --> 0:20:07.240 We gotta play. So it's gonna be so quick. Last thought, 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:09.280 but what do you do? I'm sure you have to 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:14.399 do communicate with the watsapp or back home, and what 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:16.480 do you do during your downtime, Like do you play 0:20:16.600 --> 0:20:19.480 video games? Do you read? How do you occupy your time? 0:20:19.520 --> 0:20:21.720 And how do you stay in touch with your friends 0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:24.520 and family back home? In Turkey, I'm trying to do 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:27.560