2024 NBA Media Day Roundup: Player Quotes

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and his son Bronny James Jr. #9 attend the Los Angeles Lakers media day at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif., on Sept. 30, 2024. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The 2024-25 NBA Preseason begins on Friday, with training camps opening on Tuesday. As has become tradition, the league held its annual NBA Media Day the day before training camps open where players, coaches and executives discuss optimism, expectations and what fans can look out for in the upcoming season.

Here is the best collection of player quotes from 2024 NBA Media Day.

LeBron James: “I do have a lot in the tank, a lot. I can help be a big part of a team win the ultimate, whether it’s [Olympic] gold or the Larry O’Brien Trophy or whatever the case may be. I can still get it done.”

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is also the all-time leader in minutes spent on an NBA court, as he’s approaching 70,000 when you combine both the regular season and postseason.

But James, who is the league’s oldest player and will be 40 in December, showed how impactful he could be in meaningful basketball in Paris. En route to helping Team USA win gold, James led the Americans in minutes, rebounds, and assists while finishing second in points.

He sees no reason he can’t continue to produce in his NBA record-tying 22^nd season and with his son along for the ride, even if his son doesn’t want to be anywhere near his famous father.

Bronny James: “I’d like to stay as [far] away as possible from that guy.”

That guy being LeBron James Sr., as Bronny James—officially LeBron James Jr. —will wear “James Jr.” on the back of his Lakers uniform. Bronny made the quote in reference to being grouped together with his dad so much already, whether in regards to photo requests together or father/son interview requests from the media.

Bronny also noted that he’s “definitely not” driving home from games and practices with his father, and per LeBron’s request that his son not call him “dad” while at work, Bronny said he’ll “try” to call him Bron instead.

Damian Lillard: “They gon' get the real version of me this year.”

After being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks just five days before last year’s NBA Media Day, Lillard called his debut season with the Bucks a blur.

Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks poses for a portrait during media day at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., on Sept. 30, 2024. Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Lillard’s 24.3 points per game last year were his lowest in a full season since 2014-15, but now that he’s settled in, he’s vowed to be more of the player that wowed Portland fans for 11 years.

Draymond Green: “Sometimes the best deal you can make is to not make a deal, and I think we did a great job in going out and getting pieces that are going to help this team grow…

“Championships are won six through 10. Championships aren’t won one through five.”

Green wasn’t specifically referring to the Golden State Warriors not bringing back Klay Thompson—or Chris Paul—but he’s making it clear that he’s happy with the moves and non-moves that his team made. The Warriors had a set number on a Thompson contract, and they wouldn’t exceed that number, which paved the way to him joining the Dallas Mavericks.

Thompson and Paul have been replaced by younger and cheaper players like Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and De’Anthony Melton. Green’s second quote about top-heavy teams not winning championships is a derivative of the Warriors’ motto from their championship days of “Strength in Numbers.”

Joel Embiid: “There’s no agenda, there’s no All-Star, there’s no All-NBA, there’s none of that ... basically every single year in my career, I’ve been hurt in the playoffs. So that’s the goal, and it’s all about doing whatever it takes to get there.”

Before winning his first MVP award two seasons ago, Embiid infamously said of the MVP voters, “I feel like they hate me. I feel like the standard for guys in Philly or for me is different than everyone else.”

Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers poses for a picture at media day at 76ers Training Complex in Camden, N.J. on Sept. 30, 2024. Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Thus, he was clearly clamoring for the individual honor, but his latest quote indicates he’s had a mindset shift.

His goal is to be healthy for the playoffs, and if that means less court time in the regular season—which would diminish his MVP chances—then that’s what he’s willing to do.

Also, unlike Wembanyama, Embiid dropped weight this offseason to assist with his efforts of staying healthy. He estimated he’s lost 25 to 30 pounds, and used his most famous saying in describing his weight loss.

“I still got a ways to go,” said Embiid. “I still want to lose more, but it’s a process.”

Ja Morant: “I feel like a happy Ja is a scary Ja for a lot of people. So long as I stay happy and healthy, it'll be a great season.”

After two suspensions for gun-related incidents, Morant wasn’t happy, and after a dislocated shoulder, Morant wasn’t healthy. But now he’s both after appearing in just nine games last season as Memphis went from the No. 2 seed in the West in 2022-23 to No. 13 last year.

Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies poses for a photo during media day at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Sept. 30, 2024. Justin Ford/Getty Images

He’ll enter this year with a chip on his shoulder—admittedly from his own wrongdoings—and will take out a year-plus worth of frustration on the rest of the NBA.

Luka Doncic: “Championship, that’s the goal.”

After making the NBA Finals last year and then adding Klay Thompson in the offseason, Doncic was short and to the point when asked to summarize Dallas’ approach to this season.

Kyrie Irving echoed those sentiments, saying, “I feel like our dreams can be possible because [Thompson’s] here. He’s added a great value to our championship aspirations.”