Jahlil Okafor

“People in New Orleans have been so supportive of me and the team. I love walking around here, because the people have been great.”

“In eighth grade, I pretty much didn't want to pass. I was 6'8'.' I was always bigger and stronger. I was getting triple-teamed, and the results weren't good. I wasn't helping my team. I was forcing shots. Then I started passing it out to my team, and they started hitting shots and slashing, and that's when things opened up for me.”

“I think I'm a great teammate.”

“When you have a dominant big man, that changes the aspects of the game.”

“You see a lot of guys in the NBA make dumb mistakes.”

“There's three banners I want to hang - ACC regular championship, ACC tournament championship, and, of course, the national championship.”

“There are things that I need to work on, that I have worked on, and that I'll continue to work on.”

“It's nice to be able to go against bigger guys and be able to bang.”

“Coach K was fine with the way I played defense.”

“I'm a winner. I've always been a winner.”

“Being in the city of New Orleans, meeting the people, it's been nothing but hospitality and a lot of love.”

“I don't want to say why I should be picked over somebody. I just want to say why I should be picked for any team.”

“I didn't think I was going to be doubled my first NBA game. I knew it would happen eventually, but I got off to a hot start, so as a result, I got double-teamed.”

“My defense is a criticism, but we won a national championship at Duke, so it wasn't that bad.”

“Ever since third grade - I never even noticed it until after the game - people were telling me how crazy my dad is. I think I'm so locked in when I'm playing on the floor, I only hear him maybe during timeouts or when we're up 20 or 30 and I'm on the bench. But when I'm in the game, I don't hear him.”

“I've always been a physical player.”

“For as long as I remember, big men have dominated the NBA.”

“It feels good when your teammates are telling you on the bench that they're hyped.”

“I've been playing basketball my entire life, so I feel comfortable doing what is asked of me.”

“I like playing in the post, so a system that plays to my strengths is important.”