NBA Draft prospect Skal Labissiere worked out for the Lakers on Friday, as Los Angeles' staff got to take a closer view at the freshman big man from Kentucky.
Afterward, the Haiti native fielded questions from the Los Angeles media in order to discuss his time with the Wildcats and future in the NBA.
Below is a full transcript from the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo.
Q: On his workout for the Lakers:
Labissiere: I made most of my shots, so that was good. It was a good workout.
Q: On working out for a historic organization like the Lakers:
Labissiere: It's a great experience (and) that's for anywhere. We came here (to the practice facility) before with Kentucky. So this is my second time being here.
Q: On what position he sees himself playing in the NBA:
Labissiere: I think I'll play the four because of my versatility both on offense and defense. I can shoot the basketball, score inside, run the floor very well, block shots, guard small defenders. So I think I'll be a four.
Q: On if he feels like he has a lot to prove in his draft workouts:
Labissiere: Definitely. I just treat the workouts (as an opportunity) to get better. That's what I do anyway. I've been working out since school's been over. So I just treat them as a way to improve myself. That was just another workout for me. It was a great experience being here.
Q: On when he started playing basketball:
Labissiere: I started playing basketball competitively around 11 or 12. I grew up too tall for soccer. That's when I switched and started watching a lot of basketball and falling in love with it.
Q: On watching Kobe Bryant as a kid:
Labissiere: That was my favorite player growing up. That's somebody I looked up to. ... Just his skill set. I think he's one of the most skilled players ever, if not the most skilled player ever. I like his skill set; his jump-shooting ability and just the way he plays (with) competitiveness.
Q: On what kind of feedback he has received from the teams he has worked out for:
Labissiere: Great feedback. I've been doing really well in the workouts. Like I said before, I just treat them as a regular workout. My very first workout, I was a little nervous at the beginning. But once I got in the flow of things, everything went away.
Q: On if he thinks he will have to gain weight to play power forward in the NBA:
Labissiere: Definitely, I've been doing that. I've gained a little bit, but that's definitely something that I've taken very seriously: being in the weight room. I'm going to continue to get bigger and stronger as I get older.
Q: On if there is a specific skill that he wants to prove with his workouts:
Labissiere: Just showing (teams) my skill set and doing me. Make shots and, if I go against the pads or someone else, just be physical; make physical plays.
Q: On playing with Ben Simmons at the Nike Hoops Summit:
Labissiere: We don't really talk that much, but he was a great person to play with. He made my job easier on the court. We won that game and it was just him passing me the ball and making it easy on me. He's a great player. His court vision is ridiculous.
Q: On his target weight range:
Labissiere: For my rookie season, I would say 225 (pounds), 230, somewhere around there. I'm not going to try to put on too much weight too fast. So I would say around 230.
Q: On going to Kentucky, which has produced many NBA players:
Labissiere: It was great. I remember going there and in the summer guys like Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Karl(-Anthony) Towns) coming back and playing pick-up with us. I can't think of any other place that can do the same as Kentucky. The guys came and kind of took us under their wing and played pick-up with us to show us how it's done at this level. I thought that was pretty neat.
Q: On if he received any advice from those players:
Labissiere: Yeah, they gave me some advice. I'm going to keep it to myself, but (Davis) came to one of our games and talked to me after the game. Karl Towns and I are like brothers, so we talk every so often.
Q: On if he is looking forward to playing against Towns in the NBA:
Labissiere: Definitely. I played against him in high school. He came and played pick-up at Kentucky and hopefully at the next level.
Q: On if he has a favorite memory of Bryant:
Labissiere: I remember watching him vs. Phoenix and the Celtics. Against Phoenix, I remember when he was killing them (in 2010) and he tapped Alvin Gentry on the side a little bit. I was watching that live and thought that was pretty cool. The tough shots that he was hitting over Grant Hill — that was like magic watching him growing up.
Q: On how he sees himself potentially fitting in with the Lakers:
Labissiere: I don't know yet. I'm going through the draft process. Wherever I go, I'm just going to do whatever the coach tells me to do. I'm coachable, so I'm just going to listen to them and work hard, and whatever role he has for me I'm just gonna embrace it.
Q: On if he has talked with fellow Kentucky alum Julius Randle:
Labissiere: I haven't talked to him. I saw him earlier, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him.
Q: On what it is like working out for the Lakers:
Labissiere: It's pretty cool. If you look at my background and history, coming this far to be in this positions (means) I've been very blessed, and I'm thankful for it. Not everybody gets to do this, especially from my country. So I'm very blessed to be here.
Q: On how he performed in his workout with the Lakers:
Labissiere: It went really well. I was making shots, showed them my skill set a little bit. It went really well.