I think it was wishful thinking of me to dream of being an NBA player. And once I made the NBA I dreamed of being an All-Star, but I never dreamed of being an MVP.

I have definitely gone through my ups and downs and faced my adversity and my nay-sayers, but managed to do all right. It is a pretty classic tale.

You make your own luck in life, so I'm not criticizing anyone - and I'm not even talking about myself for that - but I mean, every year, look at the team that wins. You can't control everything in a team sport. So I'm not going to cry about it, but yeah, there are moments where I'm like, "F - k." But I say it almost in an appreciative way, in a way where I realize it's great not everyone can do it. I wasn't fortunate enough to do it, but that's what makes winning a title so special.

The truth is I'm a bit old school. For me, it would be hard to put on a Lakers jersey. That's just the way it is.

You have to rely on your preparation. You got to really be passionate and try to prepare more than anyone else, and put yourself in a position to succeed, and when the moment comes you got to enjoy, relax, breathe and rely on your preparation so that you can perform and not be anxious or filled with doubt.

People have always doubted whether I was good enough to play this game at this level. I thought I was, and I thought I could be. What other people thought was really always irrelevant to me.

The toughest opponents to defend are Iverson, Marbury and Payton. They are all very talented and can shoot at anytime from anywhere.