Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Lauri Markkanen jokingly berated the media for not asking about the newly announced Harry Potter ride at Universal Orlando. Jordan Clarkson used some colorful language to say that Markkanen was ready for the next step.
Brice Sensabaugh explained the heartfelt reason he gave up his No. 8 jersey to veteran Patty Mills, and Micah Potter boasted how he caused LeBron James to turn the ball over this summer.
All in all, it was a fun media day on Monday — maybe even unexpectedly fun — for a Utah Jazz team in a full rebuild.
And it also came with a surprise winner: Oscar Tshiebwe.
During a 10-minute media session, Tshiebwe — the 2022 National Player of the Year while at Kentucky — made you laugh, made you think and kinda made you want to petition the Jazz to sign the Congolese big man to a lifetime contract.
Hyperbole? Of course, but there are infectious personalities and there is whatever Tshiebwe happens to possess.
Take his telling of a memorable phone call with NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo, who died on Monday.
"I just see (former Hoyas coach) Patrick Ewing calling me and I was like, 'Hey coach,'" Tshiebwe said.
It wasn't Ewing on the other end. Instead, it was another Hoya legend attempting to get Tshiebwe to Washington.
"He was like, 'Hey,'" Tshiebwe said as he dropped into a pitch-perfect Mutombo impression that caused him and everyone else in the room to burst into laughter.
"I said, 'Man, you got a deep voice," Tshiebwe said.
"You gotta come to Georgetown," he added, returning to his Mutombo impression, even pronouncing it "Georgia-town" for accuracy. "You gotta come here. We're gonna teach you how to break people's nose."
And there was a reason Georgetown and just about every major program wanted Tshiebwe: He can rebound. It might be difficult to find a player who takes the art of rebounding more seriously.
Tshiebwe led the nation in rebounding in back-to-back years at Kentucky, and set an NCAA tournament shot clock era record for rebounds in a game. All of that from a 6-foot-9 center. It almost feels like the ball is magnetically drawn to him.
"I'm always the one that wants it the most," he said. "When you want something the most then you have a likely chance to get it."
But it's not just about desire. Tshiebwe came to the United States from Congo during his freshman year of high school in 2015. He had begun playing basketball a year before and, admittedly, wasn't very good. One day, it dawned on him: If he just collected every missed shot it would probably help his team win more games.
It was a good thought, sure, but almost akin to saying, "If you make every shot, you're gonna be pretty good." Nice to think about; not exactly realistic. Except, he made it pretty close to reality. By focusing on rebounds he discovered a unique gift and a unique mind.
"I started doing that one night and I had 30 rebounds," he said. "And we had a win. I was like, 'Wow. I found something that I can help my team!' I helped my team go to the state final just by rebounding."
The thing is it's not just a cliche effort thing. He calculates where the ball will be based on the shot location and the shooter's wrist. No one taught him that; he just figured it out by studying the games and watching the likes of Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone.
"I watch people when they release the ball," he said. "When they release, you know if it's short, you know if it's long, you know if it will bounce up," he said. "So when you shoot, for example, from the corner, I watch the wrist to see if it was a short or it's gonna go long … and I put myself in a place where nobody can really push me."
And, yes, his method has worked in the pros, too. In 23 G League games last season, he averaged 16.1 rebounds en route to winning the league's rookie of the year award. Now he's hoping to prove he can provide that same impact in the NBA.
"This opportunity was kind of like a gift, so I can't take it for granted that I'm here," he said. "Try to work hard and try to help the team the best I can."
He has a knack for figuring out how to do that.
