Zylan Cheatham Media Availability – July 19, 2020
On how being with the Pelicans in the bubble has given him a chance to grow his game:
“It’s a dream come true. The way I’m looking at it, it’s like a basketball academy. It’s given me the chance to focus, it’s given me a chance to be around other great players and really focus on the task at hand. I think it’s extremely beneficial to me, so I’m taking advantage of every moment.”
On bringing energy to the bench, especially with no fans in the stands:
“I think it really just comes naturally. Even growing up as a kid, I used to get in trouble in class for talking too much. I just found a way to transfer and make it something positive. My energy and the way I approach every day just comes from my love for the game, my love for being around my teammates and the situation I’m in. It wasn’t promised, and I’ll never take any moment for granted. I’m happy to be here, and every moment I’m here I’m going to make it known.”
On what he can bring in these upcoming scrimmages:
“Anytime I step on the floor, I want to just make an impact. I want to impact the game positively, I want to bring energy, just bring a different dynamic. Anytime I step on the floor I want the whole energy – I want it to be a shift in just passion and energy anytime I touch the floor. Anytime I get to step on, I’m probably just try to rebound, run the floor, just do anything I’m asked pretty much.”
On if he has specific celebrations for different teammates:
“Yeah. I’d say it pretty much just comes naturally. I mean, you spend so much time with these guys. You’re going through practices, you’re seeing practices where guys are making shots and you kind of catch on to their tendencies and kind of what they like to do. I’ve had that natural feel for feeling guys out and seeing who’s more hype and who I can be more hype and jump around with or who I can just have a subtle celebration with. I think it just comes over time. It’s more of a natural thing.”
On defending Zion Williamson in practice:
“Well it’s really never a one-man job, especially when it comes to players who impact the game as he does. It’s a constant guessing game. You’re trying to guess right, because if you don’t it might be detrimental. I just try to approach every practice – any time I’m matched up with him – as I’m guarding somebody who (is) going to exploit any mismatch, he’s going to exploit any mistake I make. I just try to make things tough for him, try to limit what he wants to do, and make him do something he doesn’t want to. Guarding any great player, they’re going to – they get paid to do what they do, you know what I mean? So it’s kind of hard to take him out of what he wants to do, but you’ve just got to try and I think I did a pretty good job.”
On the message he will wear on the back of his jersey in Orlando:
“I went with ‘Say Their Names’. I was going to go with a whole host of things, but I think ‘Say Their Names’ is probably the one that hits home most with me just considering that social media does justice (initially) when things like this happen. It’s a big deal initially, and then eventually it just kind of blows over and I think that’s a big thing of why we’re not really receiving the justice that we deserve. I think saying their names and making it relevant that this isn’t over until justice is served, I think that’s pretty much a big deal.”
On his nonprofit organization:
“As far as my shirt goes, ‘Skool Prjcts’ is something me and one of my best friends back home, Justin Owens – we pretty much started a nonprofit organization that we’ve been talking about since our junior year of high school, basically focused on South Phoenix and just developing the whole culture, starting with the school systems, as far as providing kids with different opportunities that we didn’t have coming up. I’ve already done various things as far as donating and just trying to change the culture of where I’m from. It’s such a poverty-driven neighborhood and (there is) not really much hope to come out of there, so I want to change that narrative and ‘Skool Prjcts’ is a step in the right direction as far as getting multiple communities, multiple people, trying to reach out for funding and just putting our best foot forward and letting the kids know that we’re here for them. It’s the environment that I came from and I don’t know where I would be without it, so I want to change the narrative for the next kid coming up.”
