Obi Toppin made his trade from the New York Knicks to the Indiana Pacers. It was officially announced on the afternoon of July 7, 2023. The Pacers expressed how excited they are about getting the young athlete and they think might become “a complementary piece on the front line with Myles Turner.”
Told Indiana is excited about getting a young, athletic player in Obi Toppin who fits the timeline of Tyrese Halliburton, Ben Mathurin and could be a complementary piece on the front line with Myles Turner. I’m sure Toppin is thrilled about the opportunity in Indy.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 1, 2023
Obi Toppin talked about his trade for the first time on Sunday as he interacted with the media on a Zoom call. And here’s all about it.
Obi Toppin Shows His Enthusiasm Towards The Fresh Opportunity Regardless
The 25-year-old young athlete was drafted by New York with the No. 8 overall pick in NBA 2020. In over 201 regular-season games, he averaged seven points and three rebounds in 14.7 minutes from 2020-23.
“I had a great time with the Knicks. Obviously, it’s been a dream to have the opportunity to play in MSG and, obviously, put that Knicks jersey on,” Toppin said in the inteview. “It was great players there, great coaches — everybody was amazing there — but definitely super excited to have this new journey and start out here in Indiana,” he added.
He seemed excited about what the trade brings for him, he said, “I’m not going to say it’s super frustrating — things happen for a reason. But I’m just super excited, living in the moment, glad to be here in Indy and can’t wait to get started.”
Regarding his performance in the 2022-23 campaign, Toppin seemed to have a few frustrations.
“All I can do is just do whatever the coaches are asking me to do,” said Toppin, who managed 15.9 minutes in the 11 playoff games during the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“Whether that’s being out there on the floor, having great energy, doing whatever I needed to do to help the team win. I ain’t get the minutes I wanted, but now, it’s a new start. I’m here in Indy, I’ve got to work for everything I want, so I’m super excited to start that.”
Overall, Toppin seems to have put aside how he feels about his performance and moments in previous seasons and seems extremely enthusiastic and excited about the opportunity that this trade can be for him.
“I’m going to work for everything I’m going to get in the future.” We’re all excited to see what Toppin’s trade brings in for him and the Pacers and wish him luck.
Source: YouTube
