Everything on my body has a meaning. I don't do art just because. It does look cool but it also has a meaning.

A lot of people think that as a player, during the lockout, you just have your whole day free. It's not like that - especially for me. I wake up everyday, train in the morning from 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m. Then I have a business meeting here, have to meet this person there, it's non-stop for me.

I never envisioned myself playing for the U.S. Olympic team -- growing up, I never envisioned playing in the NBA, to be real with you. I never envisioned that type of stuff. So this is like a dream that I never had come true. It's like I'm a part of what's really going on. It's still very hard for me to believe that I am really going to be a part of the biggest thing in the whole entire world.

I understand the NBA and the role I play on my team. I know that I have to play a leadership role and do whatever I have to do to win.

I want to retire in New York, let's be quite frank. I think a lot of people jumped the gun when I said I wanted to be a free agent. And yeah, I want people to come to play in New York. I want them to want to play in New York. I want New York to be that place where guys want to come play.

It will work out, somehow. That's a hell of a duo right there, Marbury, Crawford and Houston.

I've been at the funerals of a lot of people in my neighborhood. Sometimes when I sit back and relax, I think about that and just blank out.