When the Cleveland Cavaliers went into the 2020 NBA Draft, they knew they wanted two things.

One, a defensive-minded player to help a team that ranked at the bottom in defense in the NBA.

Second, a high-character player who can help the team on and off the court.

With the fifth pick, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff feels they filled both those requirements with Isaac Okoro.

“We knew first and foremost that we were looking for a certain type of person. Right, we wanted high-character people,” Bickerstaff said. “We wanted people who are good teammates, who are good in the locker room and cared about something larger than themselves and when you watch Isaac play and look at his history, that’s who he is. He’s all about the right things. He’s all about winning and doing whatever it takes to win.”

“You watch him sacrifice his body, getting on the floor. Guarding the other team's best player while still trying to be the best player on the team and a lot of people wouldn’t do that. A lot of people, they have to score, score, score and save their energy for offense, but Isaac was willing to do both so that was extremely important to us.”

Part of Okoro’s character was showcased during the offseason as he opted to remain in Auburn to train, help his old teammates and continue to take classes at Auburn.

It was also showcased on draft night when he surprised his dad with a new Range Rover and his mom with a Chanel bag and Rolex.

“I just pulled off the surprise, me and my agent [Omar Cooper], came together and we just decided to get my parents something,” Okoro said. “My dad always gave my mom, me and my other siblings cars and never spoiled himself with a car, so I always knew a Range Rover was his favorite car. So not just having the draft day be about myself I wanted it to be special and just celebrate the day with my parents.”

His parents and agent made the trip with Okoro up to Cleveland and were present for his introductory press conference.

Okoro will join up with veterans such as Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, but also two young pieces in Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

Sexton, a Marrietta, Georgia, native and former player at Alabama, is someone Okoro is familiar with already.

The team had the two fly from Atlanta to Cleveland together to begin preparing for the season.

“It started at a very young age,” Okoro said of when he first met with Sexton. “But my first time playing him was freshman year in high school. I think he was a junior in high school and it got competitive. His team ended up winning but if we were to play it back again I feel like we would’ve won. We’re gonna have those battles now that we’re on the same team.”

Okoro says he spent a lot of that flight asking Sexton for advice about Cleveland and the league as a whole.

Even with a little over a month until the NBA season gets started, Bickerstaff feels Okoro could find his way in the starting lineup.

“Yeah, definitely,” Bickerstaff said on whether or not Okoro can start for the Cavs on day one. “With us, like everybody else, everything will be earned and we expect him to go out there and compete and earn everything that he’s given. I think that’s his attitude, that’s who he is naturally. He’s a competitor, he’s a scrapper, so our expectation is that he’ll go out and earn whatever’s given to him.”

As the Cavs start getting ready for their season, general manager Koby Altman feels confident in Okoro’s fit with the team.

“We’re incredibly excited about Isaac for this franchise and moving forward,” Altman said.