'Everybody deserves a chance to see it,' says Malcolm Brogdon on the global expansion of the NBA
Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016, Malcolm Brogdon had a breakout year last season when he became only the 8th player in NBA history to enter the 50-40-90 club (50% field goal accuracy, 40% 3-point accuracy and 90% free throw accuracy).
Brogdon ended up having a very busy summer where he signed a 4-year $85 million deal with the Indiana Pacers. Now he's in India, all set to make his debut for his new side as the Pacers take on the Sacramento Kings in the upcoming NBA India Games 2019 scheduled for October 4th and 5th at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai.
On the eve of the first game, Brogdon was available to interact with the media and he started off by talking about his goals for the upcoming season.
"Right now man, I wanna win. There's a team that hasn't been able to get out of the first round. That's the goal for us, to get out of the first round, to win more games. And I'll go from there."
Brogdon thinks that the Pacers have a well-rounded unit to make it deep into the playoffs and have a good season.
"We have two of the best big men in the NBA. I think we have a make up that makes us very versatile indeed so I think it's going to be a great season for us."
The NBA India Games 2019 comprise two of the four preseason games that the Pacers will be playing before the regular season tips off. Brogdon is well aware of the importance of these games.
"Extremely important, we have at least 6 or 7 new guys on the team so it's important to come out here, to develop our chemistry, to gel a little bit and get some rhythm. There's a lot of experimenting that goes on in preseason games. It's important for coaches to really see what they have, what talent they have, how guys mesh together, and what the best combination is."
The 2017 Rookie of the Year then went on to delve into what it takes to beat the best teams in the NBA and why he feels the Pacers have what it takes to win such games.
"It really comes down to the details man. Everyone can play. Playing guys like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, those guys, they're champions and know how to win, how to play out games. It really starts on the defensive end, and this team is a defensive team, with a defensive culture, so I think we do have the building blocks to beat teams like them."
Brogdon explained his views on the globalization of the game and its overall impact.
"I think it's great, I don't think it's too much demand on NBA players to come over here for one or two games. I think it only expands the game worldwide and I think everybody deserves a chance to see it close up."
Malcolm Brogdon finally concluded with a message to the fans in India who have waited a lot to see NBA teams play in the country.
"We're as excited to be here as you guys are to have us. It's a privilege to be able to come halfway across the world and play in front of people that don't get the opportunity to see us so it's an honor."