This is a transcript of an ESPN The Jump interview (Las Vegas Summer League) where hosts Rachel Nichols and Kendrick Perkins speak with rookie Moses Moody after he joined the Golden State Warriors. They discuss his draft-night reaction, his early experience in NBA daily workouts, how he expects to fit alongside stars like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the pressure/motivation to contribute immediately on a championship team, and his off-court interests (law and coding). The segment closes with advice about embracing a role and sacrifice to help win a title.
Questions this video answers
Las Vegas (Summer League / Las Vegas Basketball Center).
19 years old.
Moses Moody.
Moses Moody, what he did in college as far as him being able to move without the ball, follow up shots, great slasher, A guy that don't need the ball in his hands to be successful. He fits right into this Golden State office.
Welcome back to the Jump. We are live from Las Vegas. We're here at Summer League. I'm Rachel Nichols with Kendrick Perkins and we are now joined by the man you just saw, warriors rookie, Moses Moody. See Perk, we're just gonna, we're gonna practice throughout the segment. He's just down the road from us at the Las Vegas Basketball center, which the warriors have exclusively rented out for the two weeks there in Las Vegas. Moses, you're already learning. Golden State, a first class organization. And I gotta start with the obvious here. When Perk called your name or several versions of your name on draft night, what was your reaction?
It was funny, you know, just hearing that, everybody was sending it to me. So it was a running on joke. Still going on.
Hey, Moses, look, you know one thing I was talking, I was trying to tell the world how great of a player that you are. And I watched you throughout college and I kept saying, with every pick that was going after the field pick, I was saying, you know what? They need to take Moses Moody. All right? They didn't take it. It was like, I was like, look, take Moses Moody and. And when you finally got your name called, at that one moment I couldn't, you know, that's neither here nor there. Look, at the end of the day, you were gonna make a household name for yourself anyway because you know, obviously how talented you are on the basketball court. But I think I just added a little spice. Now you're a household name. Everybody know who Moses Moody is.
That's right.
Even my grandmother.
Yeah, for sure.
You got Perk's Grandma Moses. That's all you need. That's all you need. Now you're just at the beginning of summer. How would you describe your experience up to this point? You were a professional NBA basketball player.
Man, it's a lot of fun just going through the day to day workouts and just being in the facilities. It's a whole new life. Nothing I've ever experienced before. So I'm glad to be here, excited to be here.
Nice.
You know, hey, Moses, look, I watched you all throughout college and I just want to know, you know, with a player coming to a team like the Golden State warriors, right? You got Steph Curry, one of the greatest players of all time, where he's going to go down as one of the greatest players of all time, that culture, playing with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, how excited are you to be a part of that organization and how excited are you to get on the court and actually play with those guys?
I mean, to be Honest, I'm a 19 year old kid, so I've been watching the whole dynasty of the Golden State warriors the last couple years and seeing what they've been doing from my house every, every year. So just to be in the environment, actually be a part of this is something special.
There's pressure that comes with that too. Moses though, I mean, these guys want to win another title. I am sure you have followed all of the conversation about Steph's timeline, right. And the idea that they need rookies who can contribute right away. So what do you feel you need to do to be part of that and possibly part of a championship run, right, as a rookie?
That's a good question, Rachel. I feel like pressure is just motivation to perform. So that's just more motivation for me to get in the gym and working on perfecting the small details that I have to be perfect on to really get on the floor. Because you know, I probably won't have that much leeway. Being a young guy. I got to come out and really make an effect, make a difference in the game in a short period of time. So that's just going to motivate me to put the extra work in and be the best player I can.
Well, you've got great resources in all the guys in Golden State, but you've got one here too. I got to brag on perk for a minute. Is there anything you want to ask an NBA vet who has seen and done anything, Moses and won a title?
Most definitely. Honestly, that was probably my favorite team all time with Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, kp. Yeah, that was my squad. So I mean, I know you're a champion. So I would say as a young guy, what does it take to really be a part of a championship winning team?
You know what, it's special. And here's the thing, right? As a young guy, you want to come in and you have individual expectations for yourself, as you should. You should want to make an All Star game, you should want to make an all NBA team, you should want to make the all rookie team. But when you come to a situation that you have a chance, an opportunity to win a championship, then the word sacrifice means the most, right? And all you have to do is be a star in your role. So When Steve Kerr or whoever the coaches are that are in your ear, that are teaching you on a day to day basis, they come to you and say, hey, Moses, we expect this out of you. We want this out of you on the offensive end. We want you to run this through the sets. Defensively, we expect this from you. Just be a star in your role and everything else will fall in its place.
I love that. Perks, that's excellent advice. And here's the thing I know about you, Moses, just from reading up on you. You are a renaissance man. You've had interest in the law at one point becoming a lawyer or a judge. I know you've interest in computer programming and coding. You are going to fit right into that locker room, especially get that locker next to Andre Iguodala because he is similarly curious about the world. And I think he will be just fine. Thank you so much for joining us. And Perk, do you want to say his name one more time before we go?
Yeah. Moses Moody. Look, I know that's what he was one of my favorite players in college. I'm going to be. Look, I'm excited to watching him. Okay? Watching him. All right, Rachel.
Look, Moses, good luck to you. We're so, so thrilled.
Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.
