LAS VEGAS — Life still hasn’t slowed down for Ron Holland. He is still looking for a house to call home. He had to pack his bag for Las Vegas as soon as he unpacked it in Detroit. For the No. 5 pick in last month’s NBA Draft, though, this is what he’s been waiting for his entire life.
“I got the right attitude,” Holland said on Friday. “The person that I am, it’s all about the work and keeping what’s important, important. I’m taking care of things on the court; when it comes to shooting, recovery and sleeping. I’m taking everything day by day.”
Just after Holland’s first NBA Summer League practice, the rookie spoke to The Athletic about a wide array of topics, including the hiring of new coach J. B. Bickerstaff, Holland’s dad being a chef, his expectations for this season and more.
Enjoy.
(Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for clarity and length.)
Have you been able to pick the brains of any teammates yet?
I talked to Cade (Cunningham) a little bit, but (Marcus Sasser) has been giving me a lot of game. One thing he’s told me about is the rookie duties. He told me to prepare for that, don’t turn nothing down, because the veterans will end up taking care of you one day.
Last time we talked, the team didn’t have a coach. Now J.B. Bickerstaff is here. What have these early conversations been like between you two so far?
They’ve been really good. He sees a lot of potential in me. He’s already instilled a lot of confidence in me, and it’s been good to build that trust with him, and him build that trust with me. It’s a good start for turning this program around. His main message to me has been that I don’t have to change. I just have to be myself, Ron Holland. He wants me to play hard and be the best version of me. Things will work out if I do that.
We talked about it a little after the draft, but this team didn’t work you out. Yet, you were the Pistons’ pick at No. 5. Now that you’ve had a chance to digest it all, does that make you feel wanted here even more, given that they did all the work to make sure you were the right person without even having you in their building prior to the draft?
There’s a lot of appreciation. I did nine or 10 workouts and they weren’t one of them. In talking to (Detroit) and talking to my agent, I learned that they watched a lot of film and did a lot of background research on me. For them to still do all that, and not be able to get me for a workout, it does mean a lot. It shows that they have a lot of confidence in me and believe in my passion for the game. They see me as someone who can come here and help turn the program around, and that’s a huge blessing to me.
One thing I took away from our first conversation with you is how level-headed you appear to be. You didn’t say you want to play like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. You said Jaylen Brown and Mikal Bridges. With that, what expectations have you set for yourself as a rookie?
I just want to show how I can help change things for this program. I just want to guard the best players and play hard every single night, whether I get 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 10 minutes or five minutes. As soon as I get on the court, I’m going to do what I need to do. I want to produce. I want to become a winner. I want to listen to my vets. Then, hopefully, by doing everything I can to help this franchise I win rookie of the year. I want to do whatever they need me to do.
Someone mentioned to me that your dad is a chef and cooks for athletes.
Yeah, he helped Kenneth Lofton Jr. when he got to Memphis.
Can you cook?
Yeah, I can cook.
Better than your dad?
Nah, not better than him.
What do you like to cook?
My favorite dish to make is a nice filet mignon.
Oh, so you get busy?
Yeah, I get busy.
Did you learn to cook at a young age?
I was a late-bloomer with cooking. My sister cooked. I started sophomore year. I wanted to be able to cook for myself if I went off to college or whatever. I didn’t want to spend money on Uber Eats and all that stuff. I wanted to go grocery shopping. I had some growing up to do.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to play video games and shop, but I’m really big on community stuff. Talking to people here in Detroit, that’s going to be a big thing. Cade has his own thing. I can’t wait to start getting my community stuff going in Detroit. I have my stuff back in Dallas, but I want to come to Detroit and give back to the youth because I was them not long ago.
(Photo: Chris Schwegler / NBAE via Getty Images)
