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Off the Court: Pelicans forward Zylan Cheatham

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New Orleans rookie Zylan Cheatham took an unconventional route to the NBA, going undrafted in 2019, one of four players on the Pelicans’ 17-man roster who were not picked (the others are Kenrich Williams in ’18, international veteran Nicolo Melli and Cheatham’s fellow two-way contract player, Josh Gray). The 24-year-old Arizona native has gotten a chance this season to see a bit more of the Gulf Coast in New Orleans and the Northeast while with Erie in the G League, after growing up near the West Coast, then playing college basketball at schools in the Mountain West and Pac-12, respectively. Cheatham discussed his background and interests away from hoops with Pelicans.com:

Best moment as an athlete: “Beating No. 1 Kansas at home (while playing for Arizona State).”

How he chose his current uniform number of 45: “I chose 45 when I transferred from San Diego State to Arizona State, because I saw it as like my comeback year, my revival. When Michael Jordan retired, he was 23 but came back as 45. It kind of made sense to me.”

Favorite thing about New Orleans: “Definitely the food. My favorite dish is char-broiled oysters. They are fire. Also, the whole thing about Southern hospitality is real, even to the way they make their food, done with love and care. Those are some of the things I’ve built myself on, so I feel like I fit right in.”

First job: “Delivering meals to the homeless and the needy.”

Favorite athlete as a kid: “Either Michael Jordan – even though I didn’t grow up watching him – or Kobe Bryant. Kobe was the most relevant player growing up.”

What he’d be doing if he weren’t an NBA player: “I’d probably be doing some type of broadcasting, or modeling maybe.” [laughs]

Unique tattoos: “I have one that is the exact time I was born, and it says, ‘Time waits for no one.’ I have another one that has my birthday. But my favorite is on my chest – it’s of my grandmother, who passed away. We were super close. It was my mom’s mom. I took it pretty harshly. She died two days before my 16th birthday, so that was the worst 16th birthday ever. She had a huge impact on me.”

Subject he’s knowledgeable about besides basketball: “Animals. My passion is knowing about animals and the environment. (The TV show) Planet Earth is all I watch.”

Nicknames: “Sauce Z, Z Takeoff, King Z. My favorite is probably my Instagram name of Z Takeoff.”

Biggest lessons learned from basketball: “How to interact with people, how to be a teammate, how to work with someone to accomplish a goal.”

Biggest mentor: “Gabe Stevens. He’s been a father figure to me, a big brother, best friend since my sophomore year of high school. Any time I need information and just want to talk, he’s always been there for me.”

Best advice: “Don’t be a follower. My mom always preached that to me growing up. Use your own instincts, your values, your morals to make decisions. Don’t do something just because everyone else wants to do it, if you know it’s not the right thing. That’s how I’ve always been – even the way I dress. The way I describe how I dress is versatile, different, drippy, unbelievable, fire. All of the above.”

Favorite healthy food: “Steamed broccoli with cheese on it.”

Actor who’d play him in a movie: “It would have to be someone versatile, so I’ll go with Leonardo DiCaprio.”

Favorite musical artist: “Future.”

Professional sport he’d try to play besides basketball: “Baseball, because of their contracts.” [laughs]

How he’d most likely spend a day off during the season: “Playing Fortnite for a majority of it. I’m pretty good, or at least I have my days.”

All-time NBA starting five: “I’ll switch it up and put myself at point guard, Michael Jordan at the 2, Kevin Durant at the 3, Tim Duncan at the 4 and Shaq at my 5.”

Moment when he realized the NBA was a possibility: “Probably after last season, when I saw all of the awards I got, like first-team All-Pac 12, first-team All-Defense. Looking at the list of guys who got those type of awards in the past, they were all in the NBA. I thought, ‘I might actually have a chance. This might be a reality now.’ ”

Players who’ve had the biggest impact on him: “Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant. I’m a basketball fan, so I watch various players, but Draymond and Kawhi, I feel like I try to play similar to them.”

Favorite Christmas gift: “I got an Xbox from my mom one year. She made it seem like she wouldn’t be able to get it that year and she was sorry that she couldn’t, but I woke up on Christmas morning and it was there. I remember that vividly.”

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