Indiana Pacers Summer League Media Availability | July 6, 2025

Indiana Pacers Summer League Media Availability | July 6, 2025

as he cam today. You’ve had him to see him a little bit now. What do you What are your impressions of him early on as you guys?
Yeah. No, Cam I’m impressed with once again like he fits in with the group well like basketball IQ where he’s been able to pick things up and and and retain it and and implement it into live play, you know, very quickly. That last year at Marquette, he really had to transition to playing more point guard being off ball a lot of the time. obvious very early his both on ball and offball skills and how can they blend with what you guys hope to do.
Yeah, I think I think it’s it’s great to have a just being dynamic, you know, that just adds a layer to his game and to the team. Um where he could, hey, I can I can play off ball and catch and be aggressive or I can I can lead a team and get people in the situation where they need to be in. When you talk about the pace of style, players, what he might have fit with your uh type of skill set he has and also you know the eth.
Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I mean we we love hard playing guys and he’s able to, you know, dribble pass, shoot like that’s the three skills that that mean a lot to us. Um but I mean it’s seamless where if he gets an outlet, he could push it or he receives the outlet, he could kick it ahead and or he can he can receive it and be the guy that’s looking to be aggressive and attack. So I think it’s just, you know, different layer to everything.
Defensive end as well.
Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Like I mean, you know us, we play full court defense and he was able to do that today at a high level.
Played a lot of college balls. Do you kind of maybe expect more given his experience as far as maybe not like a leadership, but just an involvement standpoint?
Yeah. And yeah, definitely. And he’s been doing that, I would say. um he was, you know, on the when he’s on the bench or on the sideline, he’s talking guys through coverages and and putting them, you know, they have a great program on March, so he was able to come with a great foundation already set.
Had some guys on this team who have played in some of the for you guys before. Has anyone stepped up as a player leader over you these couple days?
Yeah, definitely. I mean I mean all our returning guys like Q, Ray J, Fury, Enrique, you know, I always say like Pacers don’t win 50 games without those guys. you know what they did in Cleveland and some of you know Q playing early in the year, perfect playing like so they they’ve had real NBA minutes and and know what it takes. So them coming into here, I’ve challenged them to kind of be the leaders of the group and they’ve definitely stepped up and done that.
With perfect being so um have you seen him raise that level of leadership with this group?
Yeah, definitely. I mean he’s shown it by action and by talk. So he’s doing both currently.
From an implementing perspective, obviously you guys want to play like the pace as well. How much freedom do you have to add other things, tweak styles to fit the team?
Yeah, I haven’t got much directive, but um you know, I’m trying to implement what we do with the Pacers, and I think we’ve done a great job these last couple days in practice.
How do you more comfortable? Would you describe how you feel and prepared for all this at this time compared to last year?
It’s very different. I’d say, you know, last year coming into a new environment, a new teammates, new coaches, you know, you’re getting so much thrown in your one time in the span of a few weeks. So, definitely feel a lot more comfortable kind of knowing how what to anticipate. Um, and especially with summer league as well, cuz it’s kind of a, you know, a whirlwind of everything’s going on at one place. So, um, I’m definely feeling more comfortable and excited. How’s the mental task of going from finals prep two weeks ago to summer league?
Yeah, I think it’s a positive. A lot of guys um you know haven’t had a break and then having to work their way back up game shape. Obviously we haven’t really had a break. So definitely feeling feeling really good at the moment.
What are you hoping to get out the youngest player here last year? Um how do you be able to help other players and catch. Um, yeah, that’s a good question. I think obviously I mean being my second summer league, I kind of know what what it was like last year. Um, you know, learning how we play basketball and the contest that things. So, uh, the coaches have challenged me to kind of take on the leadership role and want to want me to be more vocal and teaching the other guys um how how we play it. So, um I think it’s a bit of a challenge for me, but I like it a lot.
Last year, what did you learn from Miles Turner about playing in Indianapolis, what this team means to the city? What did you learn from from him last year?
Just Yeah, I mean, how much how much basketball means to the state. I feel Yeah, it’s definitely uh you can kind of feel the energy, um the crowd, the fans. Uh I haven’t really experienced anything like that. Um just how passionate they are. So, definitely learn how much it means. any sort of skills you’d say you’re specifically working on or hoping to improve in this summer experience?
Um, I wouldn’t say specifically. I think um, you know, just being as consistent as possible with my shot. Um, obviously working on my body, handling that sort of thing, but I’m not going to try and do things that that’s outside my role. Um, so I’m just trying to, you know, execute what I do what I do best and uh, yeah, see how they go.
What are your impressions of Tayen and Cam so far? Yeah, I like them. I think they’re super skilled. Uh yeah, I’m really excited to see see what they can do with summer. Um but yeah, first impressions that they’re definitely super skilled. Is it weird for you seeing other people as rookies now instead of yourself?
It is. Yeah, I won’t lie. It is uh even though they’re older than me, them being the rookies, it is kind of strange. Um but yeah, I definitely know how they feel. Um so I’m I’m going to try and help them as much as possible. for you, your uh first year in the NBA under your belt. Uh where do you think that you uh grew the most as that season went on and now as you start to go into your next off season here and getting ready for summer?
Uh that’s a good question. I think, you know, obviously grew a lot in terms of just, you know, how much load there is uh with the the schedule. Um now I kind of know what what to expect and so many games. So um you know, all the travel and that sort of thing. But yeah, definitely just trying to be a sponge. Uh learn what um the older guys are doing and how professional they are and yeah, just kind of take take in what they do.
Have you had any time to reflect such a short turn around on I mean from the time your career last year going through this season. I mean, we have major plays in the playoffs and um how how much that has that year on, but also so much you could learn from it.
Yeah, honestly, I haven’t really uh had time to reflect. Um yeah, it felt like it just ended. Um and it was such a long such a long year. Um it kind I feel like it kind of I broke it up into like different parts of the year. I guess like you know October to to December that feels like so long ago and then this year um kind of you kind of just see sense out the close of the year. Um but yeah, I haven’t really uh reflected too much on it yet. So
that postseason run kind of almost like a whole new
Yeah. Oh, absolutely. It feels like a whole whole new season. What does it mean to have Tai around here that um still supporting you guys as he starts his recovery? Yeah, I mean it just shows the person who he is. Um he’s just like he’s just a basketball head. Yeah. He just loves it and he’s such a great person to have around. Um yeah, no matter no matter what, you know, if he’s playing or not, he’s going to, you know, bring his same personality. So, it’s pretty cool to see him uh showing support to team.
Had a little time with you when you were at Marquette and you played here back in uh Yeah, that was it was great times. It was meant to be. We got two wins in there
for sure. We could see you on TV, but draft night, take me through your emotions of being picked and knowing you’d be coming to this franchise.
Oh, man. First and foremost, it’s a dream come true. Um, you know, I’m I’m right where I want to be, man. I I love this city. I love the people that’s here. Everybody’s here been very welcoming. Um, you know, I’m just looking forward to continuing to learn the pace of way and uh, you know, and be that.
How do you feel like that last year you had after Tyler left the playing point guard helped you get better and specifically will help you fit with this team, especially with Tyrese right now?
For sure. uh you know in a lot of ways um obviously with T in there I played the tool a lot played off the ball a little bit more so you know having to have the ball in my hands really gave me a bunch of reps of being a point guard so you know it really helped my game from being a little flexible can do either or you know it really doesn’t matter to me whatever the team needs that’s what I’m willing to do have you talked to Tyler at all since this process
uh yeah yeah I talked to T he was uh he came and celebrated with me and my family after we got drafted you know we talked a little trash cuz we know we going to play each other so you know we not going to be friends that You talked about the patient way. How do you think you fit into that?
Man, I think, you know, I’m the epitome of that, you know, just man, being with a team, being with a group of guys that just want to win and, you know, put the put their teammates before themselves and really want everybody around them to be better and feel good about themselves and and just putting your head down and working hard and doing everything you can to impact winning. Just from watching you in college, it seems like competing is is the biggest thing regardless of all the skills and all that and and playing for coach Smart. How’s that prepared you to this stage?
Man, a lot man. Uh Coach Smart is, you know, very fierce competitor. Um you know, real savage competitor. I learned a lot of things from him in the four years. You know, I really I’m glad I stayed all four years. I needed every last one of those years to, you know, make me the man and the player I am today. Do
you have any contact or workouts with the Pacers before the draft? Uh, I did an interview at the combine which went real well and uh, no, I didn’t do a pre-j workout. Do you have any impression at that time that you’d be a good fit with them based on those conversations?
Uh, yeah, for sure. You know, just the overall vibe and, you know, them telling me how they’ve watched me play and what they think I can do on the floor to help them. Um, you know, really let me feel that way.
How’s your relationship with Taylor been developing?
Um, man, real well. You know, been spending some time together, getting to know one another. Um, you know, it’s kind of funny. We’re your same age. You know, he’s married. you know, we’re two different people, you know, but we making each other um company, learning from each other. Um it’s been great. He’s a real cool dude. Obviously, go ahead.
There’s 30 landing spots in this league, so to to end up at an organization that’s on this trajectory. Um you know, what’s that mean to you to to kind of be a part of what’s been building here over the last year or two?
Man, it means it means everything. I’m just grateful. I’m grateful for, you know, Indiana picking me and believing in me. and you know, I’m going to do everything in my power, work as hard as I can to impact winning um to the the best of my ability. Obviously, you didn’t know that you were going to be here at the time, but then um seeing the Pacers go on the run that they did and then um on draft night finding out that you were going to be here. Just how exciting was that that you’re coming to a team uh that was in game seven of the NBA finals.
Um it’s extremely exciting, man. I’m looking forward to really just learning and I really, you know, I want to learn from these guys that were, you know, in those big games. um you know even guys like Fur um Q Ray J really learning from those guys and and and taking everything that they tell me and and um going from there.
And then going into um summer league what do you hope to see from yourself or what do you hope to get out of this uh trip to Vegas?
Um man, we going out there to win. When in your life did you realize that the NBA could be in your future?
Um I told myself I was going to be in the NBA going into my sophomore year of college. I kind of felt it. I I knew I was u just my game. I knew I was if not better than right on that level with a lot of people that were, you know, going to be in the league or going to the league. So, I really sat down and was like, “Yeah, this is something that’s real possible.” How did the emotion of actually making it compared to how you thought it might, man? Uh, it’s like day and night. You know, you really can’t explain the feeling till you get there. Um, man, it was great. You know, just hearing my name and, you know, being grateful for an organization for picking me.

Issac Yacob, Johnny Furphy and Kam Jones spoke with the media after our second day of Summer League practice on Sunday.

0:00 – Issac Yacob
2:43 – Johnny Furphy
7:32 – Kam Jones