Sometimes if you talk trash, you end up taking out the garbage.
There were times my immaturity kept me from being all I wanted to be.
Getting a well-rounded education and developing a love of learning that hopefully will continue to last my lifetime certainly helped prepare me to understand what's coming at me in this world and to adapt.
My mother and father stressed education and always made sure we had a place to study and books to read.
I'm concerned that young people, far too often, abdicate their responsibilities of learning and adapting and give that over to people who may not always have their best interests at heart.
I'm not nearly as much of a fan of the NBA as I was maybe 10 or 15 years ago, or certainly as I was when I was a player. It's become more entertainment focused, and less focused on the purity of the game.
One of the reasons why I enjoy college basketball a little more is because of its team orientation as opposed to individual orientation.
I've always been taught that basketball is a team game and greater than the sum of its parts.
I can't say there was one thing in particular that helped prepare me for life beyond basketball except for the exposure to college and that laboratory, that allows us to learn who and what we are, and to be able to utilize that knowledge in real life.
I knew, despite playing in the NBA, that I would have to prepare for another career or vocation for when my playing days were over, in order to maintain relevancy. I didn't want to become known for what I used to do.
I'd like to be remembered as somebody who persevered, who in many ways overcame, who recognized the importance of giving back, particularly to our youth, and as someone who tried to reach back and to catapult the next generation beyond him.
