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That's one thing I try to take pride in: not changing up. Just being who I am, and having people love me or hate me for who I am.
When I joined the Lakers and moved to L.A., I started getting more serious about collecting sneakers and dressing from the feet up.
Sure, there's a lot of negativity, but basketball is such a huge thing in my community. Flint has a very rich tradition in basketball.
I went to school at the University of Utah, and they had outstanding facilities and coaches that helped me grow and mature as a person.
People don't really understand how important our voices are. I think there's a lot of athletes that don't use their power that really should.
You can have a strong work ethic. Yes, that's going to take you far. But I think if you have a solid work ethic and a passion, that's different.
Flint is a very tough place to live. The environment is definitely a different type of environment than anywhere else in the country, I feel like.
Every single year, there's gonna be something else that people say I can't do or that you can't do in general. And it's your job to prove them wrong.
I was a young kid, and the YMCA was my second home, where my mom was dropping me off for seven, eight hours. I'd spend the day doing what I love: hoop.
I've always kinda guarded perimeter guys. I'm a little bit more comfortable guarding guys off screens. It kinda keeps me engaged in the game, locked in.
There's always going to be obstacles and people that doubt you. So it's about proving people wrong and bettering yourself and trying to be the best you.
A lot people have a strong work ethic because they want the lifestyle, or they want the money, but me, I have a hard work ethic because I love the game.
It's cool to be a Laker: that's basketball royalty, in a sense. The best franchise in basketball, so to be drafted by them is pretty cool, pretty special.
Being in the weight room has helped me. Defensively, it helps because I'm not getting backed down easily. My legs are stronger, so I can move my feet better.
You've got to be the anchor of the defense at that five position. Call out pick-and-rolls, screens. The five is usually around the rim, so you see everything.
Flint is a big, industrial city. But when I was growing up, they had the recession, lead in the water, and all this other stuff. The city was really depleted.
My mom did so much for us, working two jobs, driving us where we needed to go and a million other things. She taught me the importance of hard work and sacrifice.
I always said if I had a platform to speak, I am going to speak. I feel it is just important, not only for African American-related things but world things in general.
Growing up, I was a Detroit Pistons fan, being from Flint. During not the Bad Boys but Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace era, and growing up, I always wanted to be a Piston.
In high school, AAU, even prep school, I didn't really know how to play basketball. It was kind of like, 'Let's throw the balls out, go get buckets, just score, and go play.'
LeBron is a role model in that sense. Because for him to be as good as he is and how high up he is on the totem pole, to still care about Akron, Ohio, that is tremendous and speaks volumes.
I'm the 27th pick - not too many people thought I was gonna play the way I am. It's just a testament to having confidence and work ethic and believing in yourself and keeping the marathon going.
It's one thing to talk to a vet about something, but when you're talking to a fellow rookie going through the same struggles you are, you kind of understand it - and you grow together like that.
People really don't watch TV no more - it's all about social media. I think it's a great platform for showing off your brand, who you are, interacting with fans, interacting with people in general.
Everyone said I would be a second-round pick or undrafted guy - that's all I heard coming to the draft - but I had a higher faith. I knew I was way better than that, better than how people pegged me.
It's a great feeling when people recognize you, but at the same time, you gotta take it with a grain of salt, continue to work so you get better, because people can change on you; thoughts can change.
Being from Flint, especially in the basketball community, is a big deal. Basketball in Flint, you're pretty much like a god there if you play college basketball or are lucky enough to make it to the NBA.
People assume that, as an NBA athlete, you can get access to any kind of sneaker you want, when in reality, it's hard to get the exclusive releases or shoes from the past and feel confident they're authentic.
I think I can bring to the NBA versatility. I feel like the league is going toward four men that can pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, defend. I think I can do all that and bring that to the table at the highest level.
After college, I really looked at every single shot that I shot. Pretty much every shot in my sophomore year and my junior year and just watched my form. I watched how I shot it from 3, and I just noticed I was a very undisciplined shooter.
It was great to be in the gym with Kobe. He's so particular about the game and... why and how things work. That's one thing I kind of love about him. If you ask him something, he's going to tell you A, B, C, and D, and how that affects each play.
On draft day, I wasn't really nervous at all. Then you turn on the draft, the first five picks go by, and then you still thinking, 'Oh man, I don't know where I'm going to go.' It's really just, by the time draft hits, that's when you get nervous.
My friends, they all say that I'm turning Hollywood. Big-time. And I want to be that. I want to be a guy who's bigger than what they say. You look at Kobe. Michael Jordan. Somebody like Michael Jackson. Those guys are bigger than life. I strive to be that.
I was always thankful for the YMCA. Of course, growing up, you don't really think about it, because when you're a kid, you're in your own world. But back then, it was just so much. I'm going to go the Y, hanging out, playing games all day, playing basketball.
You know how you're in elementary school and the teacher goes around the room and, like, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' I said, 'NBA player.' And she's like, 'Well, OK. Maybe pick a real job.' But I really believed it. I felt like I was meant to be here.
It's very important, especially in the basketball culture. We like our fashion. Coming into the NBA, you definitely have to step it up because you're competing on and off the floor. Not only on the court, basketball-wise, but a lot of us take pride in our style, too.
I have a very high love for the game. My mom would always drop me off at the YMCA downtown in Flint, and I'd stay there all day. If she couldn't take me, I'd take the bus there and be there until she'd pick me up when she got off work. I've always had the love for basketball.
I always tried to be an all-around player. In college, I felt like I needed to add to my game to get to another level, to get to the NBA. The NBA has really turned to positionless basketball, so it was very important to me to have an all-around game so I could stand out in front of other guys.