“It’s a part of the game,” Hurts said, “and I accept whatever comes with that. You know, I told you guys I’ve submitted myself to doing whatever it takes to win, and some things come with that. But ultimately you just got to make the adjustments you need to make to be able to play at a high level. There won’t be any excuses going in or coming out.”

“He wants to be great,” Barkley told The Athletic. “He’ll do anything to be great.”