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I'm glad Phil Jackson got the rings for Chicago. You traded me away from New York, cool. It's all business; it's all love, whatever. But I'm a grownup now. You not my hero no more.
There are certain guys that are obviously a lot more talented than myself and a lot of the other players in the league, but... once you gotta play against me, all that's out the window.
I'm a Type A person who doesn't want to get stuck in any one type of workout. I need a variety of things to stay interested, and that way, you make sure you get the most out of yourself.
Me and Bianca [Stewart] would go to thrift stores like the Salvation Army. We'd pick up dope stuff no one ever heard of. But we'd put it together in ways that would work and be different.
People sometimes think that if someone plays basketball, they have to do that one thing they're great at. But I like being able to show that you can do more than one thing and do it at a high level.
You may have to change how you guard somebody because of how they play. But the mindset stays the same - making people uncomfortable, making them do what you want them to do instead them dictating on offense.
If you grew up watching 'Star Wars' you're like, wow, look at Darth Maul, he has that outfit. And that lightsaber. And he's jumping. When I see stuff, rarely do I forget. And that's what I always wanted to wear.
Everybody in this league waits on an opportunity when you don't play the starter minutes, when you don't play the type of minutes you want. And with each given opportunity, you got to be ready to come out and perform.
If an athlete plays the guitar, they say, 'That's so cool, he can play the guitar.' But if a guy raps, they say, 'Please don't be another rapper,' only because the rappers are so bad. I promise I'm not anything like that.
When we were growing up we only got two pairs of shoes every year. With me, I was lucky because I got three pairs of shoes, the third were basketball shoes: Black Air Force Ones, White Air Force Ones, and boots for the winter.
Ray Allen's diet was insane. He was trying to break it down to me what he ate and how disciplined he tries to stay. When you're a 21 year-old, you're not used to that. He was doing Paleo and experimenting with all types of things.
Some guys play so straight, and that may be their thing; like, a lot of guys are good playing like that. I can't play like that. I have to flair out. I have to yell. I gotta scream. I gotta talk trash - that's how I get myself going.
I like art; if I could just draw pictures all day, I would, but I can't; I'm horrible. I practiced at it, still didn't get better - gave it up. I'm good with words, though, so I write music, poetry; sometimes I just journal in my phone.
But the judge would have to be people in the fashion world and a bunch of random girls. Because guys in the league aren't trying to impress guys in the league. They're trying to impress people who have clout in the fashion world and women.
Sometimes you give a person everything. You give them all of you. You give them everything you got, and they just don't want it, or that ain't your match. So now the next person, maybe that's really something special, but you not even acting like yourself.
A lot of people celebrate the '80s. I was a '90s guy. The best music, and basketball, was at its high in the '90s, with all of the best players, playing the best style of basketball in that era, and Michael Jordan winning six rings in the city I grew up in.
You expect a basketball player to come with a white button-down, Balmain jeans, and Balenciagas. You expect that. But when I come with an extended button-down, camos, no socks, Louboutins that have spikes on them, and a bow tie with diamonds, you'll be like, "What? Who dressed him?"
I like when people do cool stuff that might be a little off-the-wall to anybody else, but they found a way to make it work for that day. I wouldn't recommend that people wear it every day like that, but if you every once in a while just spice it up, I like that. I dare to be different.
When I started in the league, I went to a tailor and told him I wanted long t-shirts. But they were like, "You know, you don't know what the trend is." I was like, "Look dog, I don't care about trends or your fashion sense. If I'm going to pay you money, this is where the shirt is going to end."
I remember watching Mike [Michael Jordan]. I remember him having a royal blue blazer and all black t-shirt and he came out of a blue Corvette. That was dope to us. We were like, 'Yo, Michael killed today.' He didn't even talk to the media and walked straight into the arena. Everyday's like Mike.
I'm a taco guy, so I like Mexican food, and any form of a taco, I'm going to eat it. During the season, I'll make it a grilled chicken taco. But after the season, give me a regular beef taco and fill it to capacity. I need meat, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo, and everything you got.
Back home, if you get scored on, you're the weak link. When I started getting good, they were like, 'If you're going to play on our team when we go play pick-up, and you start getting scored on, we're not going to let you play anymore.' I started learning how to help other people out with my defense.
I would have people send me shoes and I had 40 pairs and none would fit in the dorm room. People would come by and be like, "Yo, I've been looking for these shoes." I was like, "I'll sell them to you for $300 right now." I'd sell them, save up $4,000 to $5,000, go to the mall and just buy a bunch of new stuff.
I've started most of the time I've been in a Knick jersey, so I just think they want me to bring a certain energy every night. They want me to bring that defensive presence because they know I can make something out of nothing on defense, and I think they just want me to bring that defensive presence every day.
I was always growing, so it made no sense for my mom and dad to load me up with a bunch of clothes. But I hated coming to school and feeling like a girl could be like, 'Iman's probably gon' wear this today.' So I would always have to mix and match and find a way to look different. I took a lot of pride in that.
I think, a lot of times, the mistake in music - even rappers that are trying to be big time - if you're broke, rap about being broke. If you're sensitive, rap about being sensitive, 'cause there are other sensitive people. If you're sensitive, but you talk about being a tough person that doesn't care about anything, people will call your bluff.
The difference between me and other athletes is that I'm speaking on things that I go through that I know other people go through. I think a lot of times the mistake in music if you're broke, rap about being broke, if you're sensitive, rap about being sensitive, 'cause there are other sensitive people. If you're sensitive but you talk about being a tough person that doesn't care about anything, people will call your bluff.