'I'm just pretty weird': Pascal Siakam on his leadership qualities

Pascal Siakam made an effort to be more of a vocal leader and offer support to young players on the Raptors this past season. He evaluated how he did that and where there's room to grow. Full availability is on our Yahoo Sports Canada YouTube channel.

Video Transcript

- Hey, Pascal. Congrats on the amazing season, on the All NBA. From a leadership perspective--

PASCAL SIAKIM: Thank you.

- Before the season began, you said that you know, you wanted to do some of the things that maybe don't come so naturally to you, like texting the young guys and all of that. Now having gone through the full season, do you feel like that's something that comes naturally to you now? Or do you still feel like it's a work in progress?

PASCAL SIAKIM: No, I think it's better. I think it's better. Like, I don't know.

Like, I'm just, I'm just-- I'm just pretty weird. Like, I don't know how to explain it. But-- and I think it's just maybe sometimes, it's just like that humble fact of just like, just not-- I mean, I know the level that I'm on.

But sometimes it's like, man, like, I don't know if I feel like they need my help, or things like that. I always ask myself those questions. But I got better, man.

Like, those things kind of like, go away once you start seeing like, all the guys, the feedback, like the feedback that you get from it. And yeah, like, it just, it makes me happy. I mean, I love helping people. So I think that it makes me happy to know that I can talk to somebody that is going through a similar period that I've been through or something.

And if I can give them a one pointer or two to help them, and it actually help them, like, I think that will give me great gratitude. So I think that just knowing that kind of like, encourage me to continue to do that.

And yeah, I'm getting out of my comfort zone. And I think that's something I learned through this journey. Just knowing that to be great, you have to get out of your comfort zone.

- And a very important second question. Do you have a prediction for the Champions League final?

PASCAL SIAKIM: Yeah, of course. Real Madrid. Yeah, shoutout Karim Benzema. I think he's supposed to win the Ballon d'Or.

He's playing incredible. I mean, it's amazing what he's able to do. And yeah, I'll be watching tomorrow. And yeah, I've always been a Real Madrid fan. You know, like growing up.

So-- so yeah, I'll be watching. And I hope Real Madrid wins. And I don't know, but it'll be a good game though. Like, I like Liverpool too. It'll be fun.

And there's people on the team that kind of support Liverpool. So it's a little-- not players, but in the staff. So we have a little competition going there. But yeah, should be fun.

- Thanks Pascal, congrats again.

PASCAL SIAKIM: Thank you.

- Next question goes to Aaron.

- Hey, Pascal. Congrats, as everyone has said. Did you find out what the rest of us, watching TNT? And were you surprised? Excited? What were your reactions? And how did you find out?

PASCAL SIAKIM: Yeah. I found out, my agent called me-- well, Todd called me. I keep saying my agent. But I feel like I should call them by their names.

Yeah, Todd called me. And I guess he was watching TV. I wasn't watching it.

I didn't-- I didn't really watch it. And I don't know, I just feel like, I don't like-- I don't like watching those things. Because yeah, like, when-- when I don't-- I don't have control on something, you know, it's kind of hard for me to just be there and-- and try to watch that.

So I always try not to. And-- and I wasn't really, I didn't really know if I was going to do it. I mean, just knowing everything, you know? It's hard for me to expect things like that. So yeah, it was-- it was-- it wasn't surprising. Because I felt like I had an amazing season, a great season. I continued to get better, and-- and-- but-- but also, yeah, like, it's an honor. And-- and I was definitely happy when I got the news.

- How different do you expect this off-season this summer to be, compared to like, probably the last three or four whatever it's been, even before the championship?

- Right. Yeah, I got more time. Like, I got more time. I think that makes it different.

And then also, like, I just-- I just evolve as a player. And there's different things that I have to work on. And-- and I think that just the evolution as a player, just understanding like, there's different things that you have to do.

And the levels that I want to reach as a basketball player, like, you know? You always have to do better than the year before. So I'm trying, I'm working on different things and as we try to, me and my team, just wanting to improve. And finding those little things that's going to kind of like, give it some edge.

Or things that I've never really done before. So we're working on those things. But yeah, most importantly, just more work.

Like, I'm excited about it. I'm just curious about like, what levels I can reach, like. And I think that just knowing my journey, and how I got to where I am, I feel like a lot of things are attainable. So I want to find out all on my own, and wanted to see if I can deal with those things. And yeah.