Q. Lindy, you're removed from it for a little bit now, but what was it like getting a chance to be out there on the floor on those play-in games?
LINDY WATERS III: It was exciting. There was a lot of intensity, a lot of adrenaline going. But I thought the team did great, just fighting through adversity.
Q. There's a lot of growth that you guys have made this season, and for you personally, obviously, getting a full-time deal, what has this season been like overall from your perspective?
LINDY WATERS III: A lot of ups and a lot of downs. I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'm grateful for every chance I get to step on that court, every chance to put on that jersey. Just looking forward to putting in the work for the summer.
Q. Have you stopped to think that you've completed the blackout on the Oklahoma basketball bingo card, high school, OSU, Outlaws, Blue, Two-Way, Thunder? You've done all of it. You're the only person that's ever done that. Have you ever stopped to think about that?
LINDY WATERS III: Not really. It's a great accomplishment and it shows a lot of Oklahoma kids that it can be done. But my mentality is just to keep going and see how far I can take it.
Q. The time in Enid, how much did you learn in your time there?
LINDY WATERS III: I learned how to just be resilient. There was a lot of adversity out there. A lot of times where I could have just said, that's enough, and hung it up.
But I'm grateful for all of it. I'm grateful for all the experiences out there, all the people that helped me through, all those tough times. I'll be out there in Enid March 25th, have a little ceremony, so get to celebrate a little bit.
Q. What about Coach Corporal? You mentioned people that helped you out. How much did he help you?
LINDY WATERS III: He helped me a lot, more so just becoming a young man, not even so much on the basketball court. I think we had a great group of guys for that year, so I was lucky to be around with them.
But Coach Corporal, still talk from time to time, and yeah, he's a big part of the success.
Q. They're getting ready to go out to Spain, right? What was it like when the Thunder came calling and you had that opportunity?
LINDY WATERS III: It was a no-brainer when the Thunder called. Signed with Spain, a week later got the call, and any chance you get to play for your hometown team, you drop everything and you go.
Q. What's it been like to play for Mark?
LINDY WATERS III: It's been amazing. He's a great coach. He's an even better human being. He's also taught me a lot about things outside of basketball as well as on the basketball court.
But yeah, I come to him for advice or just if I want to talk or we read books and we talk about those. Yeah, he's great.
Q. What have you read recently?
LINDY WATERS III: I read the David Goggins book, Can't Hurt Me. That one was big. He's a tough guy, tough dude. Someone you should definitely look up to.
Q. You played for Kam Woods, as well, his first year as a head coach. What was that like and what did you see from Kam in that environment?
LINDY WATERS III: Kam is a great guy, as well. Everybody in this organization, they're down to earth people just like every Oklahoman.
I saw a lot of growth from him and he helped me grow a lot, going back and forth from the Blue to the Thunder. He was there every step of the way.
Q. It seemed like he ran things just on the court, off the court, a lot like Mark does. Did that help you stay prepared and stay ready for eventually getting back in the Thunder rotation and playing last night?
LINDY WATERS III: Yeah, that's something the Blue really hang their hat on, is just stay the same throughout the whole organization, have the same system, the same beliefs, the same determination every single day. So whenever you go up or down, it stays the exact same.
Q. Last couple days on Facebook there's been a thing about who's the best high school basketball player in Oklahoma. Your name was brought up a couple of times. Who are some of the guys that you remember watching while you were in middle school, high school?
LINDY WATERS III: I watched Terrence Boyd, I watched Xavier Henry, Blake Griffin, Shake Milton. Yeah, I'm sure there's some more that I can't think off the top of my head, but those are some good players.
Q. What do you think about your name being mentioned with some of the best basketball players in the state?
LINDY WATERS III: You know, it's great to be recognized. Yeah, it's just great to be recognized.
Q. Who would you say is the, like, best high school basketball player to ever come out of Oklahoma? Not success-wise, but just what they did in high school.
LINDY WATERS III: I'm not sure. There's a lot of names out there. I can't put my name on it.
Q. Talent gap wise, I forgot what the name of the league is that Enid is in.
LINDY WATERS III: TBO.
Q. Yeah. So between that league, the G-League, and the NBA, can you kind of talk about the talent gap between those three leagues?
LINDY WATERS III: Yeah, I mean, it's like that at all levels, any work space, no matter where you're at. It's just like going from like middle school, high school, to college, to professional. It's just always one step ahead of everything else.
Q. Where do you feel like you grew the most this season just on the floor as a player?
LINDY WATERS III: I think mentally just coming out and being able to compete every single day, no matter what the circumstances are, whether we're winning, losing, whether the body feels 100 percent healthy. If I'm out there, just mentally being prepared to give everything I've got.
Q. Heading into the off-season, what's the biggest focus for you?
LINDY WATERS III: My conditioning. I want to come back in world-class shape. Yeah, this is probably the biggest summer for me in that sense.
Q. What was it like being Shai's teammate this year and kind of watching him ascend to All-Star?
LINDY WATERS III: He made it easy for us as a teammate. He's a great guy, great locker room dude. He competes. He never complains. He's never negative, and I think that rubs off on everybody else.
We come in ready to work. We watch him come in and work every single day, so he kind of leads by example for us.
Q. Being from Oklahoma, I know it -- I don't know if you grew up a Thunder fan or not, but I know it hits a little bit different for you to play for your hometown team. How does it feel to be a pretty important part of a team that's kind of revitalized the franchise that you grew up watching?
LINDY WATERS III: Yeah, I remember when I first got the news that OKC were coming I was extremely excited because I had watched the Hornets when they were here for a small amount of time, and just having that team in this city, just it brought a lot of energy, brought a lot of growth.
Whenever the Thunder came and they had that long playoff run, definitely had my dreams of being able to play in the NBA, let alone being able to play for my hometown team. I couldn't have scripted it any better.
Q. What's your message to young players in this state who want to get to where you're at right now?
LINDY WATERS III: Don't look too far ahead. Stick to working every single day. Not everybody's path and journey is the exact same, so just dedicate yourself to being the best version of yourself.
Q. What did it mean to you to get rewarded with not being on the two-way contract anymore, having a full NBA contract?
LINDY WATERS III: You know, it was a big day for my family. They were really proud of me. I was proud of myself for putting the work in and staying resilient, staying strong. But also kind of revitalized me to just keep working harder.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports