Jordan Poole Interview from 2025 Pelicans Media Day | New Orleans Pelicans

Jordan Poole Interview from 2025 Pelicans Media Day | New Orleans Pelicans

Violet. All right, cool. Um, it was around draft day. I just got a call from my agent. I had a little bit of a feeling that moves were going to be made in the summertime. Um, I just felt like there were a lot of teams making trades. Um, I think a lot of teams gearing up for the next couple seasons. Um, but I got a call in the summertime told me I was going to New Orleans, talked to Troy Weaver, talked to Joe Dumar’s um, not too long after and just kind of chopped it up. I was with Troy in DC a little bit, so um, very familiar. Who did Trey? Yeah. Yeah. About what? What’s that relationship been like? Uh, it’s cool. I’ve known Trey for a little bit. Um, we got a couple mutual friends, so I just kind of run into him. hung out a little bit the last uh few years in the summertime, but uh you match up with these guys. You see them on the Scott Report and you know how skilled and how talented they are and um you know hanging out a little bit in the summer offseason, summer league, just trying to you know gain chemistry, understand the people in the locker room. So, uh we had a really good group of guys. Um and it’s been fun knowing everybody. A lot of people got to know you as a young guy on that championship warriors team and you had to step into a different role with the Wizards. How did that experience kind of change you having to be more of a leader, more of a guy with Yeah, it was it was dope. It was a cool experience because there were things that I learned that I wouldn’t say that I would have been able to learn my first four years. Um, which is just really cool to incorporate this into your career. Um, now I’m able to incorporate what it feels like to be um on the the tougher end of it when it comes to winning and losing, how to experience that. um to go through the highs, the lows of a season, especially playing with a lot of younger guys, um a lot of younger rookies and obviously my first four years playing with a lot of vets. Um a lot of guys are experienced played at the highest level. So incorporating all that knowledge and coming over to a team where we want to win, we want to, you know, be competitive. We want to make the playoffs. Um same thing all the way through the locker room with the coaching staff in the front office. So uh it’ll be good to kind of incorporate that. Got some veteran guys, uh who are coming to help us. But I think we’re excited. a lot of a lot of fire in the locker room. Um and just kind of can’t wait to get forward to, you know, starting the season. I mean, a ton a bunch. Um obviously my offensive skill set, being able to create for my teammates, being able to score the ball, being able to play make um you know, make life on the court easier for my teammates. Um bringing a winners mentality. I’ve won my entire life. Obviously, the last two years were um more of a learning curve experience, but um playing at the highest level is some things that you you don’t get to learn very often. Playing with some Hall of Fame guys, you take a lot in. I asked a lot of questions. So, um being being locked in, being focused, how to be a professional, you know, it’s not only myself who also knows these things, but there are other guys in the locker room that we’re bringing over because we have such a young team, too. um to kind of incorporate that kind of set the standards in the locker room. You know, we want to be a winning environment, winning culture. So, that starts with, you know, everyday work and then the small things, the details, the recovery, the getting the extra shots to film. Um, you know, those are things that make you uh really good in this league and, uh, it becomes a habit and it’s not just like a, you know, pick and choose type of time type of thing. What made your early impressions of just the city of New Orleans? Um, I don’t leave the house much. It’s hot. definitely hot outside. Um, but it’s cool. It’s cool. My mom was out here for a little bit. She did a lot more exploring than I did. And, um, I think something that stood out to me was just how like welcoming the people are. Um, so I I played in California and I played in DC. And both of those places are where people come and they move to these areas, to these cities. So, you’re not getting um, the actual locals, which is different in New Orleans. The people who are here are from New Orleans. Um, which is dope because they want you to experience the good or the better parts of the city or the best restaurants or um, you know, they want to have positive outlook and positive outcome. So, it’s it’s been dope. It’s been dope. But, it’s definitely hot for for sure. No, you good. Everybody been talking about your work ethic. You were working out this morning just before like coming here. Uh, what was your daily regimen kind of look like in terms of workouts? How many times you work out a day? All that Yeah, I can’t give y’all the goods too early. I can’t I can’t give it uh give it all away, but uh try to just get in the in the gym as much as possible. Obviously, when the season picks up, it’s a long season. You got to tailor it to the minutes that you play or how the body feels or if you got back to backs, but um there’s always an opportunity to get better, whether that’s on the court, whether it’s in the weight room, whether it’s watching film, um whether it’s walking through plays with a coach. So, um just kind of the way I’ve always been. I love the game. I’ve been obsessed with the game and um when you play at the highest level, it becomes a game of inches and then in those inches are the details. So um those are things that you need to focus on and it’s not just a one or two or three week thing. This is a allseason thing. This is a career thing. So you know over the course of time when you put in so much work uh results will start to show. How was working like with Zion? Uh working with Zion? Yeah, we worked a little bit. I mean it’s still it was still offseason. um team gets together. We’ll be in training camp, you know, starting tomorrow. So, I think a lot of guys will be um more in tune, locking in, doing a lot more, you know, group work. Uh if that’s the case still coming off summer, you let a lot of guys do their own thing. Um focus on what they feel like they need to get better at for the season. But as as the season starts, I think we’ll be doing a lot more um spending time together, working through some things, seeing how he likes to play, um how I like to play. But that’s also along with everybody else on the team against Zion. Yeah. I mean, I’ve been going against him for six years. We were in the same draft class. So, you just see what it what it’s like being on the other side of the scouting report. Obviously, he just you need so much he he creates so much gravity. You need to bring a double. Um, but I think something that has been new that I’ve been able to experience with him is he’s such a good passer and he gets off the ball and he knows how to play the right way. So, um, being able to put some spacing around him, um, allow him to operate, allow him to work, clear out that paint a little bit. Um, but also knowing that he has shooters and guys who can create plays for him on the opposite opposite side of him or on the perimeter, it’ll uh, it’ll be cool. Joe Dumar’s talked about uh, character and chemistry. You’ve had success at the highest level. Did you see anything in this group that kind of tells you this could be a special group? Yeah, definitely. Um, you don’t want to have to force or, you know, like go out of your way to push guys to want to be to be better. We got a lot of guys in this in the locker room who are naturally motivated who who want to come in early. There was a conversation we had where like so I was coming to the gym at 7:00 or 7:30 and then I look over at Herb and Herb was like, “All right, I’ll be here at 7:00.” I’m like, “All right, Herb, now I got to come 6:45.” And then Herb like, “Well, I got I got to come in 6:30.” So, we got guys who uh just love the game, but are also competitive, which is uh extremely extremely important at the highest level. And uh that’s everybody in there. So, I think that is a formula for success for sure. um jumping into a leadership role. What did that say about your game and your experience? I mean, I just played at the highest level and I think it’s something that you can’t take for granted. I think everybody in the locker room wants to win at the highest level, win a championship, uh playing in the NBA. Um, and there’s a thing that’s like there’s age experience, uh, but then there’s like NBA experience, you know, when you play 120 games in a season or you go to the playoffs and you know what it feels like to lose a game one and then what you need to do going into game two or how important it is to go in a three-game winning streak to go into um a backtoback on the road against the number two team in the league right now. So, uh, when you break things down like that, how important it is, especially when we want to win games and be in the playoffs, um, how important the details are and there’s any way that I can kind of just share that with the guys because I know we all want to win. We all want to get to the playoffs and Lon also and Dejante played, you know, in San Antonio with an elite staff, coaching staff. So, um, a lot of it is in the details and, you know, if there’s anything that I can do to kind of elevate our team with just some of my experience and, uh, the level that I’ve played at, I’ll definitely try to do so. You post a lot on your excited back team. Oh, I’m super excited. I’m super excited, man. I haven’t had a good screen in two years, so it’ll be uh, it’ll be it’ll be dope. just, you know, playing with somebody who’s won a championship. Obviously, you go through a um a long season and you just build the relationship, but in terms of just basketball chemistry, um for me personally, it’s it’s a really big pickup just for how I play, but I think it’s huge for our team, too. For the young guys, for DQ, for uh for me, for opening up the floor for guys like Trey and Hawk and Herb and um just our experience, man. We got a really good group and I think Troy and Joe did a good job of uh you know putting his unit together. Can you give some insight into Looney since you’ve known him for so long and you guys are good friends? Yeah. What you want to know? Just what type of person he is, how you know he does his work, his approach, just things that you know that we’re not privy to. Um he is probably the most professional player person that I’ve been around my seven years in the league. just his approach, how he takes care of his recovery, how he is on time, how he is attentive when it comes to film, how he asks questions, how he’s actively trying to, you know, put information on some of the young guys if it’ll benefit their learning curve, right? These are things that you don’t have to explain. He just naturally wants to give and um you need the foundation. He’s extremely mellow. Um even K. So through the highs of a season, through the lows of his season, um for the younger guys or guys who are struggling trying to figure it out, you can go to a guy like Loom because he’s so grounded. Um and he’s so centered that it gives you more of a calming aspect and he’ll talk you through things and that’s what you need, especially in our back line, uh being our big man, being our center. Um you want to be comfortable going out there with guys you know you can trust and um are locked in on the court and off the court. He uh he definitely he just kind of, you know, visualizes that and he makes it pretty uh pretty clear for not only himself but for everybody else around him. Playing on and off the ball a lot. Just how comfortable do you feel at least heading into the season while Desante is still rehab and kind of taking on that primary table role, so to speak? Uh yeah, I mean I’ve been I’ve been primary primary ball handler for pretty much all of my career except I think for my first year in DC and that was just the first half of the season. Um but it’s a strength of mine because like to get out in transition. Um feel like I’m extremely extremely dangerous when I can get out before the defense is set, being able to space the floor, being able to get to the basket, but also playmaking for my guys, trying to put them in situations to be successful, easy situations for a drive and kick. um knowing when guys need touches, but also being able to play off the ball when you got somebody who has gravity like, you know, Zion or somebody who can get hot like Trey. Um you want to be able to give these guys driving lanes and space and also play off the ball, come off screens. Um back door cuts, but also use my strength as a screener, which I learned pretty early on in my career because um it creates confusion. It creates confusion not only for, you know, the defense, but puts you in a situation to, you know, have multiple actions. um don’t have to be so ball dominant in order to affect the game or have an impact on the game. So um I learned how to play a couple different ways in my career and um you know primary on ball is definitely where I am but I don’t mind um spacing the floor getting out in transition you know being an offball player because I like to just make the right play and put my teammates in situations to uh to be successful. Jordan, you have um you have a couple of guys I mean Zion obviously and he meets these guys who can catch lobs. Yeah, fans love that kind of thing. You’re an expressive player yourself, flashy, you take a lot of fun shots and when they go in just a lot of fun shots. I like it. Uh so how how what does it take to build is that something is that important? How do you build a chemistry to set up those kinds of passes, those kinds of lobs? How hard is that to build that chemistry or is it easy? Yeah. Um I mean I’m not going to say it’s easy, but it comes with time, comes with communication. Um, it comes with as a guard, as a point guard, knowing your players, knowing your teammates, what they like, what they don’t like. So, for example, I was playing with one of the bigs yesterday or a couple days ago, and they prefer over the top pass as opposed to a pocket pass in a in a ball screen. So, small things like that could obviously determine how you play with or um, you know, without some of the teammates and the players. But, it comes with time, it comes with chemistry, it comes with reps. Um, definitely something I like to talk through. Uh, but it makes it a lot easier being able to play with a lob threat. Um, knowing that I’m such a shooter, so when we get into these ball screens, if the bigs drop, I mean, obviously I let it fly, but then if he comes up, we got guys who could just, you know, go get it out the room, which will be a little bit new for my career, but um, exciting. Exciting to look forward to for sure. Your relationship with Trey, have y’all had any shooting competitions? Only from half court. Only from half court. I’m saving it for training camp. But yeah, everybody want to challenge me to these three-point competitions and stuff. If I told him, “Give me some time, bro. Let let practice start a little bit.” So, I’m sure once we get going, it’ll probably be a lot of shooting conversations after uh practice. Talk about conversations he had with you post acquisition about your excitement level about coming to New Orleans, about how you were already all in. Kind of what excites you the most about your situation here in New Orleans? Just winning, winning, getting to the playoffs. Um, I think once you experience that, once you experience playing at the high at the highest level, it’s a it’s a feeling that you want to replicate again. Um, and kind of like he mentioned, I’m I’m definitely more of an expressive player and I like when the crowd is involved because it matters so much. You got 41 games at home and if you could handle your business um, at the crib and take care of your home your home court, it kind of sets you up for success for the backside of of the season. And um I’m just ready to be, you know, be invested with the team, invested with the with the community, with the with the crowd. Um bring the right energy, bring positive energy, just have fun hooping again. You know, last two years for me were a bit more challenging. We weren’t able to win as um much as I’d like, but coming to a situation with a new front office where that is the goal. That is the expectation. with everybody on the same uh same page, it’ll just be fun to go out there and compete every night against a really tough Western Conference and um you know try to go win some games. You think it would be maybe wrong or unfair for people to view this franchise through the lens of its recent past? Yeah, I mean if you think about it is really recency bias. I feel like that’s something that’s pretty like a common denominator uh you know in our society now. It’s been a bunch of bunch of regime changes, too. So, it takes time when you get a new front office um to lay down the foundation, lay down the the groundwork. But, I mean, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. So, um I was a Bucks fan. We just got good growing up. We was weak. We was weak. They got buildings downtown now. Like, they doing a bunch of stuff. So, it just take time. Uh take the right group. it would take the right um you know right chemistry, right situation. So uh I think everybody in the in the organization locker room are going to try their best to um expedite that learning curve, that learning process as best as we can and um obviously try to equate it to some wins. Early impressions of Peters and the type of play. Yeah. Um Jeremiah got game for sure. Just you know watching him, being on the court with him. Um he loves the game. He’s another Midwest kid. He’s from Illinois, which is not too far. So, um, extremely impressed. I mean, my thing for the younger guys is try to get them to ask as many questions as possible throughout the duration of their first year. Um, because it’s just so new and it’s so much that they have to learn. Um, and just just asking those questions, whether it’s to me, whether it’s to coaches staff, whether it’s to the bigs. Um, it’ll just make their process a little bit easier. Um, I’m really excited just to get to work with him, you know, just kind of see where his head is, pick his pick his brain a little bit, you know, try to teach him some of the nuances um that I wish I could have used as a rookie. So, uh, we’re in a really good situation. We got a lot of really good young guys, too. So, I’m definitely looking forward to it. Thank you. Yep.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole addressed the media at 2025-26 Pelicans Media Day on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
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