After being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Oklahoma City Thunder a couple of days ago, 2018 second-round pick Hamidou Diallo came out strong against his former team, scoring 19 points and snagging eight rebounds in a win over the Nets on Saturday night.

Following the game, Diallo spoke with reporters about his breakout performance, but one question was about his time at Kentucky with coach John Calipari.

As you can see in the video below, Diallo says Coach Cal is still one of his biggest supporters as he embarks on his NBA career:

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“I spoke with him two days ago – we had dinner,” Diallo said. “He just told me to go out there and be myself. He thinks I’m ready. He believes in me.”

As for the best advice Calipari ever gave him, Diallo said it’s all about taking advantage of every opportunity that comes your way:

“Stay ready. Everybody has a different path,” Diallo said. “You’ve just got to stay ready and make sure you always believe in and trust your work.”

Diallo will have a chance to shine with the Thunder, who need players to go alongside expensive stars like Russell Westbrook and Paul George. If he follows Calipari’s advice, he could have a huge rookie season.