My earliest memory of the Olympics was watching the 1996 Games in Atlanta. I remember everyone being so excited to watch. Seeing the American athletes on the podium, I saw myself. I knew that that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be one of those athletes on the podium representing their country and bringing home medals.
I remember my mom let me stay up late and watch Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan compete in the 1998 Olympic Games. I made paper medals and wore them the whole night. I didn't start skating until 2000, but I was so inspired by their skating that it was why I wanted to start.
They usually say that after the Olympic Games, somebody's life changes forever, and a lot of times, it's the gold medalist. But I have a feeling that my life has changed forever.
I'm a huge fan of the game. It's beyond a fringe benefit of obviously getting to work at the league office. I watch a ton of games in person, on television, on all forms of new media I follow the league. And so it's just beyond my wildest imaginations to me to now be the commissioner of the NBA.
The whole goal was to get an opportunity to go somewhere for OTAs because OTAs in this league are extremely important, especially for undrafted guys and guys who are on the bubble. You don't get a lot of opportunities in preseason games and training camp, so OTAs are huge.
It doesn't really matter who's getting the credit. We just love to be on the field and winning games.
I think there's a lot of people that still don't believe in me, and obviously, I love proving people wrong and helping the football team win games any possible way I can.
I really try to avoid looking at or thinking about my stats because I'm just trying to do my part in winning games.
I don't think it's much different at this level. It just feels like playing high school football, college football. It's the same games, the same routes.
I've never been a numbers guy. Numbers don't excite me. Winning games excites me.
