What Zach Edey Said During Introductory Press Conference with Memphis Grizzlies
On Wednesday night, Purdue center and two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey was selected in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 9 pick. Just two days later, the former Boilermaker was in Memphis for his first press conference in the league.
Here's everything Edey said during his first press conference as a member of the Grizzlies.
On emotions of getting drafted by Memphis ...
Edey: "They played their cards well. I had no idea they were interested. But they've been on me since I was a sophomore. They were always a team that was really interested in me, had a lot of belief in me. They were really the only team that believed in me, would've given me a deal my sophomore year. So, that's always kind of stuck with me, stayed with me.
"I was actually disappointed this year that I hadn't heard from them. And then the draft comes up and I'm getting picked, so they caught me off guard. Couldn't be happier."
On his official nickname ...
Edey: "I don't know if I can choose my own nickname."
On joining a team known for being an underdog ...
Edey: "Just being an underdog, it provides so much motivation. People can keep trying to tell you who you are, people who don't know me. It just adds fuel to the fire.I don't even pay attention to it anymore, I just let it fuel me and then you see it come out on the basketball court."
On what his scouting report would be against new teammate Cam Spencer ...
Edey: "Don't let him shoot."
On what he's most thankful for with the opportunity ...
Edey: "It makes you thankful for so much stuff — the people who believed in you, that trusted you, the people that worked with you. Those are the important people in my life, those are the people who have always supported me. My teammates, my coaches, my mom, my dad, my brother, my coach from high school. Everybody that supported me, believed in me and gave me a chance. I'm especially thankful for them."
On his offseason plan regarding Summer League and the Olympics ...
Edey: "We're going to have a dinner tonight to talk about it, so I'm not for sure yet."
On his thoughts regarding the pairing with Ja Morant ...
Edey: "It's exciting. Being able to play with Ja, I think he's the best in the league. Being able to have that pressure offensively and do the things that he does, just makes my life that much easier."
On how playing hockey and baseball helped his basketball skills ...
Edey: "It helped a lot. Baseball is basically a super intense hand-eye (coordination) sport. It just helped being coordinated when I was going through my growth spurt.
"And then hockey, you learn to make reads really quickly, the puck moves so fast. I think it also helped me develop strong legs. You always see hockey players, they got the big legs, I think that's where I got it from."
On learning from the Grizzlies veterans ...
Edey: "I'm excited to be able to play with those players and what they bring to the table. Just to get into practice, I can't wait."
On his favorite foods ...
Edey: "Yeah, I heard the food here is great. I like Italian, Mexican — you can't get big without eating everything, so I'm not too picky."
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STEFANOVIC TALKS ABOUT EDEY'S WORK ETHIC: Zach Edey transformed from an overlooked high school recruit to the No. 9 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Former Purdue teammate and current staffer Sasha Stefanovic says Edey's work ethic is what got him to the top. CLICK HERE
