We hung out on the streets, played stickball, and did all of the things that other kids did.

We had a strong relationship with Walter Brown, and felt that he was the best owner in the league.

Cooper was my road roommate, and also happened to be the first African American player drafted by a National Basketball Association team.

The NBA wasn't a big deal at that time, so it wasn't really in my career plans.

Every jock gets up and tells the world how lucky he is. But I feel that I may be the luckiest one of all in terms of timing and being at the right place at the right moment-even though, for the last 30 years, I was told I was born 20 years too soon, for obvious reasons.

I was the original socially depraved shy ghetto kid.

French was my first language.