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  • 16 hours ago
At just 20 years old, Pacôme Dadiet is preparing for the biggest games of his basketball career. Ahead of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the young New York Knicks forward opened up about what it means to be competing for a championship on the league's biggest stage.

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00:00Well, my friend, tell me, if I'm not wrong, you are the youngest one in the Knicks, right?
00:05Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:06Can you believe you are playing the NBA Finals?
00:09Yeah, I can believe it now.
00:11I'm very, very locked in on what we have to accomplish.
00:15You know, it's a big moment for the organization, for the city.
00:18It's been a minute, so, yeah, very focused on what we've got to do.
00:23What is your very first memory of the Finals?
00:26I mean, the moment that you say, probably your first time in front of a screen watching the Finals,
00:31because probably it was two years ago, maybe.
00:34My very first time watching the game, for real.
00:37It's funny, because it was San Antonio in 2014, I think, against Miami.
00:42But the one I remember the most is 2016, the Cavs and the Warriors.
00:47I was 11, so.
00:50Yeah, super young.
00:51Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:52That's the first memory I have, yeah.
00:53Tell me, I feel you were lucky, because of the 4-0 and 4-0 with Philly,
00:59because obviously you could play more minutes.
01:02Yeah.
01:02Tell me about that experience and that opportunity to,
01:04because maybe in another series you will be in the whole game in advance,
01:08but you could have that opportunity.
01:10Yeah, no, it was nice to, it's always nice to have opportunities on the court, you know,
01:15trying to make the best out of it, give my everything, and it's still a playoff game,
01:19so, you know, it's national TV, you know, we've got to be locked in when you get in.
01:25That's how it is.
01:26Nice.
01:27And what the team can do during nine days?
01:30Resting?
01:31Nine days?
01:31Working?
01:33Resting the first day, second day, maybe.
01:37But after that, I think it's good to get a feel for the ball, you know, and get some shots
01:42up.
01:43Do you feel it can be a factor for the first game, that they are coming in a competitive way
01:48and you're resting?
01:49I feel like I can be a factor even on the bench, you know, just rooting for the guys, cheering
01:53for them.
01:54You know, we need good vibes, we need good energy.
01:57We're going to have tough moments, good moments, just need someone to be positive all throughout the series.
02:05Okay.
02:06I want to ask you about your teammates.
02:10Roy, you are learning a lot about guys like Jalen, like Joss, like that chemistry, that experience.
02:17Tell me about Roy, the biggest learning for you this year.
02:21I had a lot of learning experiences, but I think I learned a lot with Mikael, because he's someone that
02:33never missed a game.
02:34So, very professional, you know, has a lot of routine and know how to take care of the body.
02:40And I'm young, so there's still something I'm learning, you know, how to do, like, consistently.
02:46And, yeah, just being consistent in what I do, I learned that about, I feel like I've seen that in
02:53every vet we have.
02:55JB, Mikael, Kat, Josh, all these guys, you know, they come in every single day and put the same work
03:02in that they put in the last day.
03:05So, yeah.
03:05Mm-hmm.
03:06And, obviously, you are friends, so a lot of people will ask you about Wemby.
03:11If you didn't do it yet.
03:13Tell me about the feeling that you are, that's happening in France right now with this guy, because it's incredible
03:20what he's doing.
03:21No, it's incredible.
03:22You know, he's a smart guy, works hard, everybody knows it.
03:27He's a leader and he's very young, so that's rare at this age.
03:32So, yeah, he's ahead of his time for sure.
03:34And, you know, we're proud as a country to have him.
03:38He's a great player, but, obviously, we're going to have to play against him.
03:43And we're going to make the most out of him, and we're going to make sure we, you know, we're
03:48aggressive and physical.
03:49You feel like it's possible to stop him?
03:52I mean, no, I definitely feel like it's possible.
03:55Do you know how to do it, because maybe you know him better than most of your teammates?
04:00With a player with his height and his IQ, the only way you can beat him is by being physical.
04:06And I think everybody knows that.
04:08We've seen that in the playoffs.
04:09That's what everybody's trying to do.
04:11So, yeah, being physical we have for sure.
04:14Nice.
04:14Nice.
04:14Nice.
04:14Nice.
04:14Nice.
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