The New Orleans Pelicans and guard Dairis Bertans have officially agreed to a two-year contract with team option for the 2019-2020 season on March 2nd.
On Friday, Bertans spoke to the media about his new career chapter, per Thebirdwrites.com.
On becoming an NBA player: “I’m super excited about it. I’ve been trying to get to the NBA before through the summer leagues. I was close, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. I’m really happy New Orleans gave me this chance.”
On circumstances he learned he is a Pelican: “It was actually…a couple of weeks ago. It was Friday — I remember because we had a national team break. I was going back home from Milan and then he {Bertans’ agent Arturs Kalnitis} told me. I really didn’t believe it in the beginning because, you know, sometimes if things come up and then it usually doesn’t work out in the end. But then we played the game with the national team and we lost — I mean, we won but we didn’t qualify for the world championship. I was pretty upset. I wasn’t talking, not even to my wife. And then this news came and my agent told me, ‘That’s it. It’s a done deal.’ So that really changed the way I felt.”
On readiness to play: “I want to play — I wanted to play today. But we’ll see. It’s up to the coaches now, but I want to play, of course.”
