There were times my immaturity kept me from being all I wanted to be.

My mother and father stressed education and always made sure we had a place to study and books to read.

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'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.

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.

I've always been taught that basketball is a team game and greater than the sum of its parts.

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.