You see somebody like me, as young as I was at the time, driving around the inner city of Newark, and to them [police] it doesn't make sense. I've been illegally searched [and had] my car illegally searched. [I've] been handcuffed for no reason. You get in enough of those situations.

In many ways for black actors there's been two leading guys: It's Will Smith vs. Denzel [Washington].

Sometimes you've gotta hide the medicine in the food. You can't slap somebody in the face with facts, all the time. It's too harsh.

ESPN Zone was probably the coolest thing I could do [making "Hardball"]. But Navy Pier was the other thing. I'd take my bicycle and ride down to Navy Pier and just hang out. Try to get a phone number or something. That was my thing.

You know, you can try and plan [filming] as much as you want, but you get there on game day and you get thrown a curve ball, I guess, hey, the game plan goes out the window. You've got to adapt.

I was born in Orange County - in Santa Ana. My dad is from California. I was raised on the East Coast. My first two years were in California, but I claim East Coast. I'm sorry, I don't rep California.

I definitely want to do films. To see a character out from beginning to end in a matter of a hundred somewhat pages and then move on to the next role, is fascinating.