That was just my own personal program: I didn't want to get too high over the good moments because I didn't want to be saddened and depressed when things didn't go as I had planned.
There's the typical books, Moby Dick and, I guess in my adult life I began to read biographies more than fiction. I started to want to relate to other people's lives, things that had really happened.
When I went to Philadelphia I was 26 years old and really sitting on top of the world. Family life, a professional career, plenty of friends and associates, and a good reputation, a wish list that could be the envy of many.
My mom is one of 14 children. She's a great lady. She's a Taurus. Has been a profound influence in my life, still is to this day. Born in meager surroundings in rural South Carolina.
I came from a broken home, so my mom was a major influence in my life.
Goals determine what your going to be
With the crowds on your side, it's easier to play up to your potential.
As a kid, I played a lot of one-on-none.
If you've experienced having control, you don't want to be moved to a subordinate position, if you have your druthers.
When the crowd appreciates you, it encourages you to be a little more daring, I think.
The first professional game that I ever played remains, to me, the most exciting moment of my professional career.
They are taking steps, but they are baby steps.
I've always tried to tell myself that the work itself is the thing, that win, lose, or draw, the work is really what counts.
I always try to keep a pretty conservative demeanor on the court.
In a lot of areas of my life, particularly in my teenage years, I began to think about the world, and to think about the universe as being a part of my conscious everyday life.
And I continued to grow until I was 25 years old.
Many people think sports are totally physical, that you don't have to think, everything is done for you and you're catered to, I found that to be so far removed from the truth that it's almost a joke. The ones who become stars are the ones who have a head on their shoulders and know how to use it.
I am very proud to be featured, especially when you consider the outstanding champions who have had this honor. It is great company to be in.
And from the first time I picked up a basketball at age eight - I had a lot of difficulty when I first picked up a basketball, because I was a scrub - there were things that I liked about it.
I grabbed 19 rebounds in my first professional game, and somehow found a way to score 20 points. I felt real good about it. I felt that this was the beginning of something good.
When I played, the owners had the power. The prisoners are running the prison now, not the warden. The warden is strong and he has say so but, the balance of power is definitely with the players.
One of the things in the back of my mind is that, after my sports experience, I never want to be, totally consumed by any one endeavor, other than my family life.
I think I was chosen by basketball, although I never really physically got drafted to any team that I played for.
But you know, if you live an affluent lifestyle, there are all types of trappings that are there that you have to be cognizant of, and you've got to try and communicate freely and gain understanding about and then keep moving on, because you know, sometimes lifestyles are chosen for us as opposed to us choosing them.
LA Clippers should come to Louisville
