Get to Know: The Eight Players of Nigerian Descent Selected in NBA Draft 2020

Can you talk about your style of play and what you’ll bring to the Nuggets.

First and foremost, I want to thank the Most High. Without Him, I wouldn’t be in this position. He’s given me everything, and He’s the only reason I’m here. All glory and honor go unto His name.

But I mean, I’m ready. I’m a worker. I’m someone who’s coachable, who’s disciplined, who brings energy. Yeah, and I’m just excited to be a part of this Nuggets organization.

I’ve been working a lot during these quarantine times, and I feel like I’ve made a lot of improvements. I’ve added 20 pounds of muscle. I’ve really improved my jump shot, shooting the three-pointer well. I feel great. My body feels explosive. I feel quick. I’m just excited to do whatever I can to help our team win.

How much contact did you have with the Nuggets prior to tonight, and if you did have any sort of extensive contact, what was your impression of the Nuggets when you met with them?

Yeah, I had a couple of interviews with them. I also worked out for them, and I feel like — I always felt like they were a great team, a team I would like to go to. I felt like our conversations went really well, and I felt like we built a pretty good relationship from those interviews and from the workout that I had for them, so yeah.

The moment you got selected, just take me through the feelings in your household with your mom and dad and going through that moment and achieving your dreams.

Yeah, it was an incredible moment. I’m so thankful first and foremost for the Most High, for all that He’s done for me putting me in this position. I’m extremely blessed, and I know there are so many people that want to be in this position, but for me to be here, me and my family, we’re incredibly thankful.

It feels great because I’ve been working to get to the NBA for so long, but I know this is just the beginning. I know

that now the button resets, and it doesn’t matter where you’re drafted, now it matters how much work you put in.

I’m a worker. I’m ready to work. I’m going to get better, and I’m just going to let my game do the talking.

Yeah, I’m excited to get to work, really.

How excited were you to see your teammate Josh Green go to Dallas two picks ahead of you?

Man, I was so pumped. He deserves it. He’s an incredible worker. He’s just a great teammate to have, and to see him go 18 to the Mavericks, I was so happy because I know how hard he’s worked for this. And I’ve been with him for a while, and he definitely deserved that.

I’m just curious, this whole process, obviously the college basketball season stopped in March, you guys as prospects have had a very, very long wait. How did you kind of stay — just sort of stay motivated and keep a process through all that and how difficult was that?

Yeah, I mean, I didn’t find it too difficult to keep myself motivated. I feel like people have been doubting me since my high school days. I feel like I have a chip on my shoulder. There are so many things that motivate me.

And this quarantine time I felt like I know it’s so unfortunate everything that’s happening, and I’ve had people and family members that have been impacted by this, as well. But I was trying to make the most of this opportunity. I know it’s a bad situation to be in, but it’s also a lot of time to get better.

That’s what I was doing this whole time, just getting better, putting time in the gym, improving my body, improving my shot. I feel like I made a lot of big improvements in this time off, and I feel like I’m not going to stop there. I’m going to keep working and keep trying to push myself to continue to get better.

What’s your first impression of playing with Nikola Jokic?

I’m excited. He’s a superstar. He’s like one of the best centers in the league. His vision and his passing is incredible. He’s super talented, high IQ. I’m excited to learn from him and to get to work with him, you know?

I was wondering just going back to when you came to Arizona a year ago, nobody thought you’d be a first-round pick. It sounds like you had a lot of belief in yourself. Did it really seem more realistic after looking back on it sometimes during last year that you could do this? And especially tonight it seemed like maybe you even went faster, quicker than people thought in this draft.

Yeah, I have confidence in myself because I know the Most High is with me, and He’s the one who’s provided me with everything. I have the utmost faith in Him, and that’s why I have confidence in my abilities.

Going back to last year even when I got to Arizona, I felt one of my goals was to get Freshman of the Year. I did, and I set my goals high, but I work really hard, so I’m able to set that work towards it.

I’m just ready to work hard for the Nuggets. I’m just so excited. Yeah, this is just the beginning of this new chapter in my life. I’m just ready.

At Arizona last year you played some of the 4 and 5, and I was wondering at the NBA level what position you think suits you best.

I mean, I think that — I mean, I’m really — I feel like I’m a really coachable person and a team player, and whatever the coach needs from me, whatever the team needs from me, I’ll step up and take on that role.

If they need me to play the 4, I’ll play the 4. If they need me to step up and play the 5, I’ll play the 5. I’m just willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Growing up or just now watching film on NBA guys, who are some players that you pattern your game around that you watched and studied film on?

Yeah, I watched a lot of like — the players around the league, I feel like there isn’t a single specific player that I tried to pattern my game after, but certain parts of their games I tried to implement into my own game. I don’t feel like there’s a specific player I tried to emulate their game word for word.

I know you’re excited just to get on the court, but is there a particular matchup you’re looking forward to?

No, I’m up for whatever challenge is thrown at me. I’m a competitor, and I’m going to give it my all no matter who I’m going against.

Isaac, congratulations. Just wanted to get your thoughts on how you’re going to fit in in Cleveland next to Sexton and Garland, and what do you make of people saying you’re the best defensive wing in this draft?

I feel like I could fit alongside Sexton and Garland by just running the floor, getting in quick buckets, and I feel like I am the best defensive player in this draft. Like I’m able to switch off one through four and still hold my ground.

Isaac, congratulations on your big night, man. When did you get the sense that the Cavs were truly interested in taking you at No. 5?

I feel like I had a great workout, a great interview with them. They also took me out to dinner. We just had a great conversation. So I feel like, throughout that day, I feel like I had a good sense that they were going to take me.

Isaac, I’m calling from Cleveland too. How do you feel you can help this defense right away? I mean, they’ve been last in the league for two years.

I feel like I could take that challenge of guarding the other team’s best player and hopefully trying to slow them down or shutting down the game and just giving our guards time to focus on offense and focus on running the floor.

Isaac, as you know, you are the first player of Nigerian origin to be selected in this draft. How does that make you feel especially considering what your mom said about remembering where you come from?

It feels great to be the first Nigerian in this draft to be drafted. It’s also just a blessing. As you said, my mom always tells me to keep that Nigerian pride. Even though I wasn’t born in Nigeria, I still got Nigerian blood. So it’s just having that on my shoulders.

What are your goals for next season? How excited are you to be part of a team with players like Andre Drummond and Kevin Love?

I feel like my goal for this year is to help the Cavaliers get back to the playoffs. Just do anything to help us win and get back to the playoffs.

And I feel like I could be great playing alongside Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, knowing that they’re veterans. Just going in there and talking to them, getting advice from them, I feel like that will help me out.

Hi, Isaac, congratulations. You obviously have an existing connection with Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton. How excited are you to be playing with somebody you already know?

That’s great, going in and we already have that chemistry and that connection. So I’m just going in and asking him questions about the league and how I can fill my role on the team. Will be a great start for me.

 The Cavs, one of the positions that they’ve been really lacking is at the wing, which is where you fill in really well. Offensively, what about your game do you think that you can bring on that end of the floor to really help just kind of fill that gap for them?

I feel like just my attacking-the-rim ability, being able to force mismatches and post smaller guards up and take bigger guards off the dribble, and also just my play-making abilities, being able to find open the teammates and being able to get them open shots.

How different is it going to be getting ready for the start of this season in just over a month from today? I mean, especially for rookies this year. This is a different year, you know.

Yeah, it’s going to be different, but you know, I’m ready for it. We’ve had a long time to go into workout mode and get better at our game. So just coming in right now, I feel like I’m ready for it.

Congratulations, Isaac. What over the course of the last almost a year now, going on a year that you’ve actually played a game, did you specifically work on to get yourself ready for this NBA Draft? What specifically did you work on to get yourself ready for the draft?

I would say I didn’t just work on one thing. I worked on all aspects of my game. Because I know coming into the NBA, you have to have a polished game. So I worked on my shooting, strengthening my strengths, just working on my passing, working on slide defense, and just playing a pick-up game.

Thanks, War Eagle.

War Eagle.