Q. For a guy that has been with this organization for as long as you have, you've seen the transformations. As it appears based on the moves that have happened throughout the course of the season, it seems like the organization is ready to take its next step in this rebuild. Do you feel like they are ready to take that next step and start competing to win basketball games here?
ANTHONY GILL: Yeah, I definitely think so. I mean, regardless of the personnel that we have here, the foundation that's been set is unbelievable. I mean, we are in a very strong place as far as what we're going to stand on moving forward.
I know a lot of people from the outside don't see that. You just see a losing season, you see what's going on with the Wizards. But we have something special here that I'm pretty sure the entire world will be shocked to see moving forward.
I'm excited to see what's going to happen.
Q. We've all heard glowing reviews of you as a teammate, conduct in the locker room. We don't see the film study, the practices. How do you like to make your teammates better on the court?
ANTHONY GILL: Yeah, my job here is just to support them as much as I can, right? Whatever type of player they want to be, that's who I'm going to support. Hopefully that's in a positive direction that's going to lead to our success and their overall contribution to the Wizards organization.
I'm just here to support them. If they want to get extra shots up that day, I want to be at their basket to help them. I want to be rebounding for them. If they want to guard at practice, I want to be that guy for them.
These players that we have in this organization right now are unbelievable. They work extremely hard. They don't need a guy like me to be there to motivate them every single day or to be there for them. They're extremely professional. They work hard. They're amazing people. So makes my job a lot easier.
Q. What has Brian Keefe brought to the table, period?
ANTHONY GILL: Period, okay (smiling), question mark.
BK is unapologetically himself every single day. He shows up. He's the same person no matter if it's 6:00 a.m. in the morning or 7:00 p.m. at night. He's going to be the same person.
He holds us accountable for our actions. Things don't slip. That's what I can appreciate about him. He's not afraid to tell anyone the truth, whether it be someone who has came through this organization like CJ McCollum, who has a lot of accolades to his name, or someone like myself who has no accolades at all. He's going to talk to us the exact same way. He's going to hold us accountable. I appreciate that about him.
Q. What is something that stood out to you in terms of how the young core has improved as a whole over the last couple seasons?
ANTHONY GILL: The way that this team works is unbelievable. I pride myself on being a hard worker, but these guys work extremely hard. You don't have to push one guy to get in the gym to get extra shots up.
At the beginning of -- we called it the jump season last summer, we would have workouts in the morning, then guys would come back at night on their own to get shots up. That happened throughout the entire summer. You don't see that always. Young guys don't always have great work ethic and work habits. These guys have unbelievable work ethic. I couldn't be more proud of them.
Q. What needs to change for this team to level up in a meaningful way on the defensive end next year?
ANTHONY GILL: I think we started making some of those changes this season. We've had spurts where we played unbelievable defense. We've had to figure out ways to put that together. We brought some personnel into the organization now that can help contribute to that with Anthony Davis. I mean, I can only imagine what it's going to be like with Alex Sarr and Anthony Davis on the court at the same time. It's going to be something special. People already have a hard time scoring the ball at the rim when Alex is in the game, let alone having Anthony Davis in there with him.
I think we're making the right steps.
J.J. Outlaw, who does a majority of our defensive schemes, he has a lot of things up there in his brain that he's going to implement for this upcoming season. It's up to us as players to trust it and go out there and execute it.
Q. You've been given that role giving the best advice you can to a lot of the young guys. Can you name a specific advice that you've given to any of the players the last year?
ANTHONY GILL: Specific advice? I can't recall one thing. Again, I don't see myself as this, like, vet role, this locker room guy. I see myself as one of the guys. These are my brothers out here, right? When I'm out here every single day, I just want to serve them as best as I can. I don't see myself as giving them ultimate advice that is going to change their life or change the way they see basketball.
I want them to see me as somebody who is going to be consistent every single day and be there for them no matter what. If they do something good, I'm going to be there for them. If they do something bad, I'm going to be there for them. I don't want them to see any type of change in me at all.
I guess the way I live my life is the best advice I can give someone. There's nothing I can say out of my mouth that would drastically change anyone's life.
Q. Speaking of consistency, you have been a consistent player doing your role. Do you think any of the players have taken that approach or they already had that?
ANTHONY GILL: I would say the front office did an unbelievable job of bringing in great men, great young men who are developing to become even greater older men, if we will say.
They are extreme professionals, like I said earlier. They have great, high-character guys on this team. So I commend the front office and the coaching staff for bringing in amazing talent.
Of course, first and foremost, but great players and great character men, as well.
Q. What does your future look like here in terms of whether you want to come back? What's been communicated to you?
ANTHONY GILL: I don't know what my future looks like here. I know that I love this place. I love this city. My family loves this city. So I don't know what my future looks like here.
I would love to be back here in whatever role they would have me. I just want to serve this community and serve this team the best way I can.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports