2015 NBA Draft Media Day: Prospects on Prospects

The top NBA prospects gathered in Manhattan today to speak with the media ahead of tomorrow night’s draft. But for many of the soon-to-be-pros, the event doubled as a high-profile reunion between former teammates, old friends, and long-time rivals.

Here’s what a few of the future NBA-ers had to say about each other:



Justise Winslow (Duke, forward) on Jahlil Okafor (Duke, center):

“Over the past four or so years, getting to know him, getting really close with him, Team USA and then you go to Duke and become brothers, become champions… It’s just been fun, having someone with a very common experience as you coming through the same situation and going through the same experience. It makes it a lot easier, just having someone that you know so well here.



Devin Booker (Kentucky, guard) on Jerian Grant (Notre Dame, guard):

“We were actually in a workout together, me and Jerian. Jerian’s a really cool guy. He’s really talented also. Like I said, I wish the best for everybody. We’re all fulfilling our dreams and we’re all so young, too, and people don’t realize that. This is the dream we’ve been waiting for our whole life, and to actually be in New York right now, it’s a blessing.”



Sam Dekker (Wisconsin, forward) on Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin, forward):

“You guys saw the games, but I’ve shot with him a lot in the gym, and that guy will be able play at any level just because of how he can put the ball in the hole from anywhere on the court. Whether it’s two feet away or 30 feet away, he’s gonna score. If you can shoot in this league and do a few other things, defend your position, you can find a spot and I think it will be easy for him. The league won’t be easy, but it will be easy for him I think to be on a roster and have a good long career. I’m really excited to see where this whole journey’s gonna take him and I’m confident he’ll do really well.”



Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona, forward) on Dekker:

Off the court, man, he’s a cool dude. I respect him a lot. We have fun, we joke. You might have seen us on the same snap story together. To be around him and just to be a part of this whole transition with him has been really good. He works hard on the court. Great player, great person.”

Hollis-Jefferson on the other prospects:

“I would say pretty much every guy here I’m familiar with, except for, like, a couple foreign guys. Known them for five, six years. It’s been good just to see their faces, interact with them, talk to them, just have fun, be ourselves. At the end of the day, we’re kids, we love to have fun, enjoy each others’ presence, and that’s what we’re gonna do.



Stanley Johnson (Arizona, forward) on Hollis-Jefferson:

“Having a guy like Rondae just around is really good vibes and having him really care about you is really good vibes. I’m happy to be here with him because I know he’s gonna make it.”


Photos: Andy Lyons/Getty Images (Dekker, Booker), Streeter Lecka/Getty Images (Kaminsky, Okafor), Jared Wickerham/Getty Images (Grant), Tom Pennington/Getty Images (Winslow), Ethan Miller/Getty Images (Hollis-Jefferson), Jacob Funk/J and L Photography/Getty Images (Johnson)