Hey, what's up to Aaron?
What up man? Hey first up, what in
the world happened to your hair?
No, but really,
how are you feeling getting back
to to the business of basketball?
I know all the social stuff
going on outside is is,
you know, definitely crazy,
but also just the way that you guys
have to come back and play in a bubble.
And you know safety is such a concern.
It's different man. It's crazy,
you know the world that we live in right now.
But I mean life is all about adapting,
so that's what we're doing right now.
And I mean, I feel good about being able
to get back on the court and and work out.
And, you know,
be able to see some of the guys.
So I mean, I'm I'm enjoying the process.
And I mean, I'm I'm ready to
play whenever whenever we start.
Oh, and the hair I was going to cut
my hair after the season and then you
got the quarantine and I was like,
yeah I'm done with it so I cut it.
I called my Barber.
He was like he got class.
I said come after class.
Marshall
DD and saw a couple of
comments you made on Twitter.
I guess following along like
everybody else with the schedule
lease people talking about what
teams have a chance to do what,
when the bubble resumes.
Do you feel disrespected or are you just
maybe people don't know about you guys
yet because got off to a slower start?
How are how are you mentally preparing to
to attack the remainder of the season,
knowing that nationally?
Anyways, not a lot of people are
paying the King's attention.
Ah, for me. You know,
I'm not someone to you know,
filter myself or hold my tongue or anything.
And I don't even think you know,
it's like cocky or anything.
It's I think it's you, know,
disrespectful that you know we
don't even stand a chance like.
Like we shouldn't even be there,
so I mean, the slow start is what it is,
but at the end of the day,
you know I feel like we have,
you know, just as much of a
chance as these other teams.
So I just said that I put that out there.
You know, it's funny by the end of the day.
You know we're going out there with the
same goal as you know, those four of the
teams that are that are right there.
So it is what it is.
You know, if the media isn't covering,
it is what it is.
That is what it is.
But you know, we're going out there,
you know, trying to win,
trying to win every game,
trying to make the playoffs.
It's like everybody else,
and if people don't see us,
you know as a threat then.
You know we let the chips
fall where they may.
You've
had a chance to look at the schedule.
I mean, you guys had a chance
with what was left because you did
face New Orleans multiple times.
You're going to see them twice.
How do you like your chances?
Now you know what you know about
getting into a play in situation
versus what you were looking at
before the season was suspended.
I mean, I like our chances, you know.
I think every game we have
on the schedule is winnable.
You know all you have to do,
I think is be within four
games of the eighth seed,
but you have to be the ninth seed so.
And then today I think we control
our own faith if we go in there,
we can control our own faith if we
go in there and and we win games,
then you know we,
we live with the results.
Jim Crandell
this is weird.
Weird all the way around
and first of all you have
no idea how big a deal in this
town your haircut was. It was like
no. I for sure know.
I remember because the lady
asked me for a picture. I was in,
I think Safeway or wherever I was,
and I saw that picture everywhere
so I knew it was a big deal.
Yeah, it was huge. Hey listen,
going into this bubble thing.
It's going to be so weird.
I mean, are you apprehensive at all?
Or I mean just one of
your feelings about that?
It's it's a situation that nobody has
ever dealt with in professional sports.
I mean, it's different. It's it's.
It's definitely going to be a weird
thing and a weird process, but.
You try to make it work.
I mean, I don't really have you know any
idea what's going to happen or how it's
going to or how are things going to work,
but for me I'm going to be.
I'm asking my room so if we were at
home I'll be doing the same thing.
So for me it's not a trip, but.
You know it's definitely gonna be weird.
You know you know,
staying in a hotel for you know a month
or however long it's going to be so.
Sean Cunningham
what's up, Darren? How you doing?
I'm doing well. I mean, you missed
the hair a little bit, right?
Not at all, actually. Not at all.
Now coach Cal used to get so mad cause
he'd be talking to me like I twist my hair
like I probably got so many pictures of
me like messing with my head in the game.
So I'm I'm good without doing anymore. Now.
I just walk around with a brush everywhere,
just two real quick for me.
Excuse me, you talk about the the
disrespect you saw from the national media.
In some regards, have you kind of been
used to that since you've been in
Sacramento because you know there's
not really expectations from you guys
to be a playoff team or a winning
team from a national standpoint,
do you kind of get used to some of
that disrespect on on that level?
I mean, for us, it's like you know
if we can get into the playoffs if we
can do these things, then you know
we're just proving everybody wrong.
So when people were doubting us or anything
like that, it doesn't hurt for me.
It's like, you know, I'm a.
I'm going to show you where you're wrong
by the end of the day, it's what we,
it's what we do on the court.
And like I said, you know we're tied with
these teams and you know, we've beaten.
You know Memphis.
Three out of three out of four times,
and you know, no one talks about that.
So it is what it is.
I'm going to put it out there.
I'm the bug in your ear, but you know,
if we don't get into the playoffs and it's
like, you know, none of that matters.
So at the end of the day,
we still have to, you know,
produce on the court
and then just real quick on the.
The bubble scenario and
just the real world stuff.
Going along with this pandemic
can you for your for your mind?
Do you know when it became
a real issue for you?
I mean obviously the season
halts and everything,
but for some people it took.
Knowing somebody that test positive.
For some people it took,
you know seeing someone pass away?
I mean do you know when it
became like for you where it
really hits you and you like?
Yeah this is a real world scenario
for me it was around the time it was.
I mean when the season got cancelled.
I haven't known anybody that's had it.
Signs you know some of
the players now and then.
You know we were still playing when they're
talking about canceling the season,
but you know, at the time, I'm like,
you know they're not gonna do that is,
you know it'll,
it'll blow over at some point,
but I think you know.
Probably when we play Portland the
night before and then you know people
really got to talking about it.
That's when you know it
became really real for me.
Mark dempsky
hey Darren, talk about what as you
guys come back together right now.
What is your biggest challenge as
a team you know to be ready to be,
you know, in game shape and to
to you know be playing the best
basketball you can right now.
I mean, it's just for everybody
to continue to work, you know,
once we all come back together, you know,
try to jail together as quickly as possible.
You know if we can get to where we left off,
you know when the season was cancelled,
you know that'll be ideal and perfect for us.
By the end of day, you know you don't know.
Everybody's going to come back just yet.
You know, as far as our team
or with other teams so.
It's it's kind of like a
little NCAA type tournament.
You know, a team that gets at least you know,
for make for getting in a team that
gets hot at the right time, you know.
And just being able to make it to
the playoffs is is what everybody
wants right now.
So these these eight games are.
I mean, it's definitely be different.
You know, no fans.
You know every single,
every second counts while you're there.
But for us it's,
you know, get together.
You know as soon as possible and
you know just trying to work
that chemistry back into effect.
And like I said,
get to where we were before the season.
Left off
Jason Jones
hey. What's up, Darren?
What's up how you doing all right
this you you guys were playing so
well going into the play got stopped.
How do you? Is it possible to get that
back after this much time off or it's
kind of a fresh start for everybody?
You really don't know what to expect
once things get rolling again.
I mean, you definitely
don't know what to expect,
but you know just the way that you
know we started the season poorly.
You know we can, you know,
get the start up.
You know doing well,
so it's just about being ready.
I mean, it's it's obvious,
it's unpredictable for all
22 teams that are going but.
You know you wanna you want to
start off as strong as possible?
It's kind of a follow up
for some of you yourself.
You know Marvin buddy,
you guys haven't really been in a playoff
chase like this type of situation,
just what's it like knowing
that going down to Orlando this
is a essentially every game
the playoff game for you now.
I mean, it's exciting.
You know this is the experience
that everybody wants and
everybody needs you know,
and playing this game so we I
think we're all going out there.
I mean, anxious to play,
and I mean we all want to be in the in in
the playoffs no matter the circumstance.
Obviously this is a weird year,
but it is what it is.
You know we have to adapt to it,
but we're all trying to get in the playoffs.
You know, the same as everybody else.
Jason Anderson, go ahead. Darren,
good to see you man how are
you? I'm doing? Well how about yourself?
Good thank you. You and I had
some conversations I don't over a
period of a couple months really
late and and before the shutdown
about your future in Sacramento,
your faith in the organization
and in the direction that that
the franchise is going, you know,
has anything happened to change
those feelings in the past few
months or do you still see yourself
leading this team into the future?
Uh, no, it's all the same.
It's all the same.
Yeah, I don't think there's
much to say about that.
You know, I see myself being here.
I want to be here obviously. You know,
we want to win and you know right now,
I think last year you know we put
ourselves in a pretty good position.
This year we're we're we're sort of in the
same position to still make the playoffs,
so that's that's what we all want.
And then, you know,
continue to take the next step forward,
you know, back to the hair.
Sarah, does this style have a name?
Did did the previous hairstyle have a name?
You have a name. I mean,
I'm just like getting waves now,
so that's that is what it is.
I'm gonna keep it short.
People have asked me am I gonna grow
my hair back out and I'm not that
was that was years of doing that
and I'm I'm not doing that again.
James
yeah hey dearon we. We've talked
about pace especially last season.
You guys were so fast and this
season we've seen it really slow
down and be more methodical as a
team with such a short window here.
Is there a way you guys can get back
to that pace that you played at?
Or is there some concerns about
injuries and stuff because such
a short window to start back up.
You know from what we've talked about as a
team, you know we want to get the pace up.
You know, we want to play fast,
but at the end of day,
you know we still have to execute
while we're down there, and.
That's pretty much it.
I think everybody's on the
same page as far as you know,
trying to get the pace up a little bit more,
and you know you reach at the end of the day.
You know when you're playing a fast pace,
you get you get a bit easier buckets,
but you know we don't want that to
come at the expense of, you know,
not executing or getting back on defense.
But yeah, we we,
we all do want the pace to be up.
My question is, have you seen a
lot of your teammates and is there
anyone that's impressed you with how
you know how much they've the work
they've put in during this stoppage?
See a couple guys every day.
I think everybody's been working.
You know, if you know everybody
went there different ways,
you know a little bit. You know,
right after the season was cancelled,
but everybody pretty much has been working.
I would say you know anybody's like.
Stand out as far as that.
Besides, I mean,
everybody knows like Harrison's pro pro so.
I think everybody's everybody's been
anxious to get back as far as I know,
I don't know anybody
that's sitting out for us,
but everybody's been pretty much
been working this whole time.
Are we going to do two more macgeorge?
Darren, it's good to talk to you.
I enjoyed the streams during the break.
Appreciate it so you mentioned
the kind of the Sprint that
this is going to be 8 games for
your for your playoff lives.
Does it give you
and? And maybe the team any kind of
bolstered confidence with the start that
you guys were able to get
off to in the
2018-2019 season? Kind of
catching everybody by surprise.
Are you looking to to
to do that again and
and almost build upon
that and not necessarily?
I don't think any.
I mean we haven't really
talked about it that way, but.
I mean, right now we're like,
you know, they give.
They're giving us a chance.
They're they're giving us a chance
to get in this and you know,
we're trying to take every advantage we can.
You know, opportunity,
and that's why you know everybody
who's coming in and is working
so hard because you know we all
know what's what's happened the
past few years and everybody
wants to be in the playoffs.
A lot of guys for the first time.
So everybody's, you know,
excited for this opportunity.
This opportunity that we've been given.
OK, last one Sean Cunningham.
Yeah, just real quick.
Darren Darren in terms of obviously
you guys will have the opportunity
to put messages on the on the back
of your jersey for all the social
justice stuff going on is if you
given that much thought is there,
is that something you plan on doing?
I actually haven't given it much thought.
I think I got the text message like
two or three days ago, but I haven't.
You know really thought about
it too much and we haven't.
You know, really talked about it.
So I'm pretty sure some guys might.
But for myself, you know I haven't.
You know, given it a lot of
thought just yet. With the.
It seems like the biggest concerns for you,
the you know the pandemic stuff
is kind of put to the side.
You feel like you have ultimate
faith in what the system will
be once you get to Orlando,
and if that is true,
what is your biggest concern
in terms of basketball and kind
of picking up the success?
Well, I mean if I'm not worried
about you know the bubble.
It's just being ready, you know.
It's been a lot of days between, you know,
the last game and the startup of this.
So obviously people have concerns, but.
And you just you have to prepare
yourself as much as you can.
And just being ready to play and
obviously injuries can happen,
but you know it's a part of the game,
so just just trying to prepare
our body for you know this high
intensity basketball you go from.
Think it's been like 300 and
something days to you know
playoff intensity basketball.
So it's just all about being ready and
taking care of yourself right now.