Indiana Pacers Summer League Postgame Media Availability | July 18, 2025
Yeah, I just want to start off and say I mean this group was great to to coach and be a part of. I mean the staff was great. Um the players, you know, coming in working hard, doing what’s asked and, you know, I’m just grateful for the opportunity. I mean, Coach Carlile and and the Pacers get me to come coach this team. It’s been a lot of fun. From game one to now, were some of the improvements that you saw that you felt like, you know, it helped the team out and you got better at? Yeah, definitely. I mean like everyone wants to play fast in summer league, but playing the Pacer brand of kicking it ahead, being unselfish, ball movement, body movement, and competing on the defensive end. You know, I talked about previously many times, you know, trying to put together like 40 minutes of good defense. I told the guys after the game, we put together about 37 and a half, you know, like last two minutes they scored too much. Um, but not just the growth in them and individually like our, you know, players on our roster and players that won’t be around us. I felt like they got got an experience with us and it’ll be valuable for them down their careers. What is this experience as a head coach going to help you with moving forward into like the next season? Yeah, I think it’ll help me be a better assistant, you know, to help coach Carlile like things that I wouldn’t I would never think of, you know, I’ve been I’ve been in the situation this past two weeks. Um, so maybe, you know, I can try to get better advice or or be more of a helping hand in certain situations. What were some of the things you saw from Baker today that really impressed you? You know, Baker was a part of the 2021 Sacramento Kings summer league championship team that we were I was on. So, I knew he could play and I mean he was great all summer, but his shooting I mean it definitely I mean he made shots today. When he makes shots he’s an inside and outside uh presence it’s it’s hard to guard. Being over East African coach NBA right now. Do you have any word and advice for young African kids that want to hopefully work in the NBA one day? Yeah, definitely. I’ll say I mean you know this Habasha like you are, you know, uh I’m air train. My mom always said like dreams come true so believe you know and I felt like I had an opportunity and I seized it and there’s not many of us airran and Ethiopians out there I would say and you know it’s just about pushing yourself past limits you thought you even had no this year how do you feel like Camtas Yeah definitely I think uh Cam being able to play on ball and off ball just another dynamic ball handler kind of like how Nehart is with us. Um, you know, it’s going to be there’s no one person that can replace Tyrese, but we can do it by committee. So,
Summer League Head Coach Isaac Yacob spoke with the media following Friday’s win against the Pelicans.
0:00 – Isaac Yacob
