Sindarius Thornwell Media Availability – July 21, 2020
On being back on an NBA roster:
“It’s been a roller coaster, but it’s been an experience just going through it. Just taking everything that’s handed to me. Accepting every process that I have to go through to get back [in the NBA], but more physical, I think it was more mental for me. I think it was just time I needed to get to a mental state and prepare my mind for the game, and for everything, it’s more so physical.”
On what it was like to receive a phone call from the Pelicans and what has his time been like with the team:
“It was dope. It was like the weight off my shoulders was gone, and a sigh of relief. I was going through it and having to think the process through over and potentially having to go overseas and if I wanted to go overseas, or if I want to wait for everything to start clearing up. Just having to even think about that process, it was kind of getting stressful for me, so just to get that call is like a weight off my shoulders. It was like the first time I smiled in a year, just to be back around guys and playing with guys and just back competing.”
On if he talked to Frank Jackson about the 2017 Duke vs. South Carolina game when Duke went on to lose:
“We talked about it like last week, maybe. We were chilling or like playing a game or something, and we talked about it a little bit, and there really wasn’t much to really talk about, but we laughed about it a little bit. I would just tell Frank, I remember Frank, because towards the end of the game when the game was kind of over, or in the second half. I’m not going to say the game was over, but when the game got kind of hard the only people that I can remember attack, like still attacking, still trying to get the team to play hard was Frank and Grayson (Allen). Those were the only two guys that I can remember who really still tried to get guys to play hard, still get guys to attack, and Frank was one of those guys I remember still attacking, still trying to get guys up and going trying to win the game.”
On if there is anything about his game he is working on to remain in the NBA, and how grateful he is for the opportunity to play in the NBA restart:
“My niche is definitely being a defender. Just being a lockdown defender and coming in and giving guys a hard time and making it difficult for them to score and making them have to work because are guys are too good in this league for you to stop them. Just to get guys to work hard and try to earn every basket. I think I have a good niche at that of defending guys and being a good defender in this league. I also just continue to prove that I can make that open shot, and I can make that open catch-and-shoot three. I continue to make plays for other guys off the bench. I’m extremely grateful for the call, for the opportunity, but throughout my summer process, I wasn’t thirsty to get a call, I was just thirsty for an opportunity to play. My mindset was just getting ready and prepare for whatever was next. Whether that was getting ready to go overseas or next summer, next offseason, or even this offseason. Whatever opportunity it was for me, I was just getting prepared for that and getting myself prepared to take advantage of it.”
