Rookies need to get used to life in the NBA in plenty of different ways. Pelicans rookie Derik Queen is in the middle of that adjustment. To his credit, he's employing the "if you don't know, then ask" approach.
New Orleans guard Jordan Poole was mic'd up during their game against the Spurs Friday and the local broadcast caught an incredibly sweet moment between the veteran and rookie. Poole was throwing on his warmup shirt as he sat on the bench next to Queen, which the Maryland product apparently thought was a requirement.
"Yo, do we have to put these on?" Queen asked as he pointed toward Poole's extra layer.
A bit confused at first, the seventh-year guard eventually caught on and provided a helpful tip to the newcomer.
"These? Nah," Poole responded. "You put it on because in some arenas you be freezing. Some arenas got hockey rinks underneath, so it's a little bit colder like Boston or [Washington] D.C."
Watch the downright adorable welcome to the league moment below:
Derik Queen asked Poole if he's required to wear the warmups on the bench pic.twitter.com/yFzU7IVl6e
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) October 25, 2025
Queen, the 13th pick in this year's draft, played 35 minutes in New Orleans' 120-116 overtime loss to the Spurs Friday, scoring 15 points with six rebounds and two blocks. He played just 15 minutes in the Pelicans' season opener against the Grizzlies. He was cleared to resume full basketball activities last week after his recovery from wrist surgery over the summer, which caused him to miss the preseason. The rookie big man is clearly set for a big role in his first year, which surprised even him, at least this early in the season.
"Once I got cleared, I thought I was going to be the last man on the bench because I haven't had time to prove myself and do anything to show that I'm ready," Queen said after the loss to San Antonio Friday via Pelicans Film Room. "But I feel like the few practices I did have definitely helped and I feel like coach [Willie] Green and all the other coaches know what I can do and saw how hard I was working during my injury."
He averaged 16.5 points and nine rebounds per game last year in his only season at Maryland. The NBA brings a learning curve, but the rookie big man certainly isn't afraid to ask if he's unsure.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pelicans Rookie Adorably Asked Jordan Poole If He Had to Wear Team Warmups on Bench.
