MOHAMED BAMBA

I'm going to be a guy who can defend a bunch of different positions.

Coach Smart did a great job of just letting me come to terms with myself as a basketball player and a person.

I honestly think, rebounding, it takes a couple of things to be a good rebounder... It takes motor. It takes effort. It takes a lot of things. It takes game reps.

Tony Bradley is pretty good.

Whatever the team needs, I'll do.

As far as what teams need and what I need, I'm open to anything a team has to say about how they envision me in their future.

I watched the Knicks when they were at their worst, and I would always root for them because it's always been in my heart.

I don't know why, but I don't really get too nervous before games or practices or whatever.

Being told to get out, not being afraid to fail and try new things - that really makes a difference.

I want everything and anything I can get from this game. Because in reality, I owe this game my life.

Absolutely, I believe that I have the tools, the presence, and all the make-up to be the No. 1 pick.

My whole thing is if you want to do it, then do it. Kobe told me this, but he said, 'You don't wanna lay all your eggs in one basket, but you wanna lay all your eggs in one basket.' If you wanna do something and be great at it, that's what you're going to have to specialize in. Just take it and run.

Both offensively and defensively, the presence that I have is pretty profound.

Whenever I guard a guard, I don't want to reach too much, but I will poke at the ball once to get him thinking.

I got everything I wanted out of Texas. Obviously, you'd love to win more. You'd love to win a national championship and compete at that level. But as far as relationships and development, I couldn't be happier.

Having the tools and the intangibles mean nothing unless you are surrounded by the best.

I credit a lot of my success to being from Harlem, growing up there.

Don't be one foot in and one foot out, especially coming up in New York. It's so easy to lose sight of what you want to do and who you want to be.

A 7-footer who hits a step-back jumper - that's a pretty unicorn-like thing. Or someone who blocks a shot off the top of the backboard, pushes it in transition, and finds a shooter in the corner - that's pretty unicorn-like.

At first, Coach Smart was big on not overwhelming me. But I told him, 'My mental capacity is a lot more than you think it is. I can take it.'

There's a rumor that my great-grandmother was 6'7''. I don't know if it's necessarily true, but that's a big woman.

I have game-changing defensive abilities.

As much as I hate that it's a business decision - like, I'm just picking a school - it really is a business decision. I really don't see anything wrong with waiting it out.

I don't really want to be cocky when I say this, but I really feel I can be one of the best rim protectors in the league, you know, as a rookie.

I truly have New York embedded in my blood.