Either because I was an athlete or because I was black - probably both - there seemed to be a clear assumption that I wouldn't be up to the work.

One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.

My grandfather and my uncle both died from colorectal cancer, my dad almost died from it and I have the gene for it.

I don't really care who's doing drugs in the NBA as long as the scene isn't adversely affecting my team and teammates. I've known enough drug users-going as far back as grade school and the streets of New York-not to view them as pariahs or lost souls. I've certainly smoked more than my quota of weed.

If not for the success that medicine has made, I might be part of a much different story right now.

You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go... Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body.

The constant expansion has diluted the talent. Other than that, it's still the same game.