The basket looked like an ocean, and I was just throwing rocks in.
I see kids today trying to do the things I did, and it makes me feel like I've come a long way.
I take everything I learned from the streets and put it in my NBA game.
You can put a murderer in a suit, and hes still a murderer.
It's unfair because the people booing, I believe, wouldn't want to have their child booed. Fans don't understand our lives and what we go through. They don't look at us as humans. We love the fans because they support and love the game, but at the same time it hurts when they turn their back on us.
I never took the game for granted as far as not having to work on what I needed to do to accomplish all of the things that I wanted to accomplish.
Man, people have been waiting for me to fall off my whole career. From the first time I stepped on the court. It probably made people sick to their stomachs watching my whole career, watching the things that I've done in my career.
I believe in my heart I'm the best player in the world. I'm just a scorer. I try to put the ball in the basket for my team. I'm just confident in my ability to play ball.
Being an All-Star is everything.
If I don't believe it, then they don't need me on the court. I've just got to believe that in my heart.
I wasn't a bad guy. I just wanted God to give me a second chance.
I owe all of this to the guys I've played with and all the coaches that have helped me get to where I'm at right now. I'm honored to be here.
I gave everything I had to basketball. The passion is still there but the desire to play is not. It was a great ride.
When you lose, there is a whole bunch of room for negativity and I don't feed into this stuff and I do not do any talking. I don't run my mouth.
Believe me, I am not even that brave enough to miss that many practices.
When I was a little kid I used to go on the playground and say: today I will shoot like Bird, pass like Magic, jump like Mike, be quick like Zeke. I am thankful to them, since without seeing them do things they did, I wouldn't be in the NBA.
When you get to that level, it's not a matter of talent anymore - because all the players are so talented - it's about preparation, about playing smart and making good decisions. If I don't believe it, then they don't need me on the court. I've just got to believe that in my heart.
In 2001 we didn't have all the talent in the world, we just had me on offense and just a bunch of tough ass dudes, and a great coach in Larry Brown.
I had a lot of growing up to do. A lot of times, I learned the hard way.
I just wanted to set a good example. I wanted to do things that I hadn't done before. My whole thing was to just try to be professional. I think when you work hard, good things happen, so obviously, because we're going to the Finals.
Please don't try to make things nice! All the wrong notes are right? I want it that way.
I was the bridge between the Michael Jordan era and LeBron James era.
You make other team think you going one way and you got to sell the move going that way and you've got to really make them think that you're going that way and they're going the other way. When it ends up ultimately being a perfect crossover is when you shake them so bad that they can't even get back into the play to play defense. You're already gone. That's what I think the perfect one is to where a teammate of his has to stop you from scoring.
If that many people recognize how hard I go every night and what I put into my game, to make myself and my team better, it means a lot to mean. I'm fortunate; I'm blessed to be in the situation that I'm in right now.
Not a game, not a game... practice.
