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Why this All-NBA selection was extra special for Raptors' Pascal Siakam

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has experienced extreme highs and lows over the past few years. He discussed why being selected to the All-NBA third team was special for him. Full availability is on our Yahoo Sports Canada YouTube channel.

Video Transcript

- Congrats on just a huge year. And I wanted--

PASCAL SIAKAM: Thank you.

- --to ask you-- motivation for success, for things, comes from different ways. Sometimes we get motivated when things don't go our way. Does having another success like this-- do you find it motivating? Does it make you want to do more and bigger things?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Yeah, for sure. I think for me, obviously, again, going through what I've been through as a person and as a basketball player, it makes me grow. And I feel like just knowing how fast things can change, I also understand the responsibility that I have to keep the pressure on, keep my foot on the gas. And just knowing that there's always levels that I can get to. And I appreciate the journey.

Everything that's going. And then sometimes, even when things are not going the way that I want them to go, just understanding that it's all a journey, and that's going to be part of my story. So I'm super grateful and super blessed. And I think it makes you even more humble and more hungry. You just want more, just knowing that it's not given.

- That's awesome. Congrats, and enjoy your off season.

PASCAL SIAKAM: Thank you. Thank you.

- Thanks, Michael. We'll go to Doug.

- Pascal, how are you, sir?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Good. Good. How are you doing?

- Nice and warm and sunny where you are. Not here. That's good. Hope you're enjoying yourself.

PASCAL SIAKAM: Yes I am. I am.

- Hey, this'll be-- you haven't had a summer to work in two or three years because of injuries and bubbles and crap like that. Are you looking forward to the summer workout program? Because that's where your game generally evolves from, is your time in the gym in the summer, and this will be the first time in, I guess, three years you've had that chance.

PASCAL SIAKAM: For sure. It's awesome. I just remember being excited about it. And even now, right now, just trying to get back into it, it's just such an exciting part of my career and my journey. And the process of me being the player that I am, I just enjoy that. I enjoy that whole process of the summertime, waking up every day, getting to work.

And it's like, the whole day that you have is just about dedicating to getting better. There's nothing really else that's there that takes my time. So it's just all about basketball, wanting to improve, and spending time with people that I love It's just a great time. And I always enjoy it. And I think that obviously, being able to put the work in and get better, it's just added to it. But I just like this period of time, for sure.

- I just wonder why. Because some guys wouldn't enjoy the grind of the work without the glory of the games. You seem to be a little bit different than that. And I'm just wondering why.

PASCAL SIAKAM: I think that obviously, you go to games, and people only see you when you're out there on the court. And I feel like there's just such a beauty in the work and the process of-- when nobody's in the gym, it's just you and your team, the people that's in your corner. They're just there. They see you grind, they see you work every day. And sometimes you're in the full arena, and you miss a shot.

And it just feels like the end of the world. And it's just so different, because people don't see it. And you don't see the thousands of shots that you missed or thousands of shots that you made, when the lights weren't there. So I don't know. I just think something about that-- I'm just obsessed with that. And just knowing that. And I think, also, seeing the results makes it even more excited about what else you can achieve, knowing that you put so much work in, and the results can come with that. And so yeah, that's what made me love it.

- Great. Thanks very much. Congratulations again, sir.

PASCAL SIAKAM: Thank you.

- We'll go to Josh Lewenberg.

JOSH LEWENBERG: Hey, Pascal. Congrats, man. How's the vacation?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Huh?

JOSH LEWENBERG: How was the vacation? Looked like you took a little bit of--

PASCAL SIAKAM: Yeah. It was awesome. Awesome. Yeah, it was awesome. That's all I got to say.

JOSH LEWENBERG: Nice. Well, well deserved. I'm sure the All-NBA selection from a couple of years ago was special, what with it being your first. But is this one almost more gratifying, because of everything you've been through since then? And all the work that you've put in to get back to this level?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I think obviously, like you said, the first one was special. And again, one of the first honors that you get at that level. But I think, yeah, this is a little bit sweeter. Just knowing, again, like you said, everything that I've been through. And there's a lot of chitchat, and people just doubting you.

And I think that I just have to be strong. And I just want to thank my team and the people around me, just for them sticking with me and understanding the journey of it. And just me just staying calm throughout everything, and just trusting my work. And I think that is just a good thing to have. Just knowing that things can always change.

And I used to always say, the storm ends eventually. But it's just great. And I feel blessed. I feel excited, knowing that yeah, you can fall, but you can also get back up. And it's just such a great story.

And yeah, it makes it sweeter, just because of everything. But for me, selfishly, or even like with my team, we always kind of knew that that's the level we're supposed to be on, and then even higher. So-- which is your focus now.