My mother and brother made me strive to get good grades and get through school.
My freshman year, I was such an immature kid and I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know what I wanted or what I could do or what my abilities were off the court.
We gotta play hard and leave it all out there. Dive for lose balls, take charges, just do whatever it takes to win the game.
I just go out there and try to help my team win no matter what.
If you go to a team that's fighting for a playoff spot, you just want to fit in. That's all you want to do. Go in with an open mind and let yourself take it in.
It's always special to be an All-Star.
That's a big thing for me, being a guy that upholds himself to a high standard.
Growing up, there were not many people I trusted. There are stories for days about how my attitude was. A lot of it's true. A lot of it's not true.
I know I can shoot when I want. I know I'm going to have the ball. It's about seeing what the team needs at that time.
My job is, as a player, to go out here and do my job.
Go out there and play hard, understand your teammates, understand the other team's gameplan, understand your coaches' philosophies and what they want you to do. There's nothing better than showing, though; more than talking, you have to make your actions speak louder than words.
If you drive right, and your big is standing to the right, dish and keep going to their big - you grab an arm, maybe pull - so that they can't contest. You only get called for it once in a while.
The regular season doesn't matter.
I don't want to be a guy that's just out there to be out there; I want to play and contribute.
I grew up in a horrible neighborhood.
I believe that every single game in the Playoffs, round 1 to Eastern Conference Finals, every single game is a different game.
There is a sense of frustration because we are losing games that we know we are capable of winning.
I think everyone is just expanding, with the centers shooting 3s. I think that just opens the floor up a lot more. A lot more shots are going up, a lot more freedom of movement. It makes it more of an exciting game.
It's cool to make the playoffs. It's not cool to lose in the first round anymore. The goal is to make the Finals.
Bringing a championship to the city of Toronto and the country of Canada has been one the best things I've done so far in my career, and I'll push for that goal every single year I play this game.
