I was hurting. I had some ailments I was dealing with. It's not like I was holding out.

I think in every lesson there's a blessing, and there's so many blessings from all the lessons I've had to go through in life.

I had to develop the mentality and stay positive about making my comeback.

If I would have listened to other people back in 2000 telling me I should have stopped playing basketball because of a kidney disease, I wouldn't have won a world championship.

You can play a particular sport as long as you take good care of your body and you're confident enough and still have that hunger to where you want to be a part of an organization, a group of individuals where you feel you can contribute to the success of that team.

I know that all good things must come to an end and I've had an incredible ride. I just want to end it on the right note.

I feel that each and every one of us as individuals has a responsibility to one another. None of us would be here without the help of someone else - whether it be guardians, teachers, parents, relatives, etc. - someone contributed to your well being as a person. We're all connected in so many different ways.