Transcript: Quinten Post on improving for next season and crushing the chess tournament

he's playing chess while others are playing checkers

2025-07-14 Quinten Post on Willard and Dibs 95.7 The Game

Quinten

[Chesstival] is an event hosted by Magnus Carlsen, who's the former world champion, and then Derrick Rose, who you guys probably know who well, apparently plays a lot of chess and they set up this event together where like NBA meets chess players, I guess. And yeah, I ended up winning.

W&D

How many different players did you have to go through on your road to the title, Q? 

Quinten

I played five matches and I won four of them and I drew one. 

W&D

Who was able to gut out the draw against you?

Quinten

So it was a bad draw where I was in a winning position, but I kind of messed up. It was Grant Williams.

W&D

Oh, Grant Williams. Yeah, that was. And wait a minute, just so people understand, this isn't just like regular chess, is it? Like, there's something about a blind draw of all of the pieces in the back row. Is that right?

Quinten

Yes, correct. They're trying to promote freestyle chess. It's like a different version of chess where you randomize all the pieces on the back row. Yeah, so it was interesting to do and a very fun event.

W&D

Okay, and was it all NBA players?

Quinten

Yes, it was all NBA players and former NBA players and then obviously the grandmasters who also were attending.

W&D

Okay. All right. And you won twenty five thousand that you're now going to donate to charity, is that correct?

Quinten

Correct. It's going to Reading Partners, who is an organization that I did some charity events for earlier this season. It's basically just about making sure that kids in all places of the US and Cali especially get the opportunity to learn how to read. And get set up for life with being able to go through education. And yes, I thought it was a nice cause to donate to.

W&D

When were the nerves higher for you, QP, in the final of the Chesstival or playing legitimate playoff minutes this year?

Quinten

No, definitely playoff minutes. I mean, all of the NBA players that were there took it very serious because everybody obviously is highly competitive and wants to win, but playing real playoff minutes was a little more nerve wracking for sure.

W&D

What did you learn in those playoff experiences that you will now take into year two?

Quinten

Yes, I mean, it was a great experience for me. It's very interesting to see a team that many times in a row. And I learned that I want to improve on my physicality and my inside game, both offensively and defensively. But just in general, getting that experience and being able to run it back next year. Yeah, very exciting.

W&D

We talked to Alex Toohey earlier today, Warriors rookie here at Summer League, and he said some of the same things about getting used to the physicality. How do you, as a younger player, go about getting more used to the physicality of the NBA?

Quinten

It's really just reps, like that's all that really can, can, how do you say it? Like there's no other way to kind of get used to that, right? Like you just have to be out there. So I was very fortunate to get some real reps during the regular season and even be out there during the play. It was just a great experience. And he'll have to go through the same thing, whether that be starting in the G League or going straight to the big team. Yeah, but he'll get used to it.

W&D

Quinten, what have the Warriors told you to expect about your role next year?

Quinten

Not much. We're just going to have to see until the season starts.

W&D

I mean, what is your thought on watching the offseason unfold? And quite frankly, so far, the Warriors have not really gotten involved.

Quinten

Yes, I mean, we'll just have to wait kinda. I think you don't know what's going to happen in the next couple of weeks, months. I mean, as a player, you're not really involved in this, obviously. I'm not thinking too much attention to it. I'm more so just focusing on myself and trying to improve every day. And yes, we'll kind of see what happens in the next couple of weeks.

W&D

What's happening the next couple of days or more? I mean, you're here in Vegas, you're out there rocking Chess Championships. What else you got on the docket, Quinten?

Quinten

I mean, I've just been working out every day. We have a great facility here in Vegas for the Warriors, where together with some other of the young guys, we work out every day. lift every day. And then it's unfortunate that I'm… they're not playing (me?) in the Summer League, but that's all right. We're more so focused on my development right now and Yeah, no, it's been great so far.

…

W&D

Where are the areas that you really need to improve upon in order to get in there and get more minutes at the five?

Quinten

Defensively mainly and then also offensively, my inside game. I mean, I had a lot of success shooting the three ball last year, and I definitely need to keep prioritizing that as a floor spacing big, which is what kind of gets me on the floor, but then I can definitely make strides in being an inside presence and then defensively being quicker on my feet, but I definitely think that just being having a year of experience under my belt is going to really help me next year.