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You're going to go through ups; you're going to go through downs. But staying steady is most important, and being able to bounce back is also very important.
I pride myself on what I do every night. I pride myself on my work ethic and how I carry myself. I want to be mature in my approach but focused and disciplined.
I don't pay attention to accolades or any of that stuff because I think it can serve as a distraction, so for me, I just focus on winning games, trying to make the playoffs.
I don't think any other college coach could have prepared me as well as Coach Bennett, just in terms of mental toughness, being able to grasp concepts and retain information.
If you have an open shot, and you're a shooter, and you've put hours and hours on the practice court shooting the ball, you shoot the ball in the game. It's just that simple.
I think teams make the same decisions every year based on the same information and based on the same decision-making. I think a lot of it is flawed, but it's the way they draft.
I don't play for the attention; I work on my skills every day so I can go out and play my role to the fullest to help the team win. That's my No. 1 goal when I step on the court.
I think it speaks a lot to Coach Kidd and my teammates to trust me as a rookie to make plays down the stretch. When they put that confidence in you, it's hard not to try to make plays.
I saw from a very young age the value of clean water in communities in Africa. I made a promise to myself that once I reached a time and place in my career where I could do more, I would.
I know we have a lot of poverty and we have a lot of problems over here in the U.S., but for me, I've been outside the country, and that's really where my heart is - to help others outside.
I've heard a lot about what second-round picks usually do - whether it's D-League or whether it's not playing - but for me, I have high expectations of myself regardless of where I'm picked.
I see guys like Colin Kaepernick in the NFL. Guys like Marshawn Lynch, they're sitting down; they're making statements. They're standing up for what they believe in, and I think it's terrific.
I think a lot of the problem with foreign aid and things like that is you go in, give a bunch of stuff, and then it runs out. It's about helping them learn how to continue to be sustainable and live.
The big thing that Giannis brings to the game for us is pace, being able to get up and down the floor and play fast. We got to continue to do that and not lose momentum when he comes out of the game.
Before I came to Milwaukee, I'd heard the city was the most segregated in the country. I'd heard it was racist. When I got here, it was extremely segregated. I've never lived in a city this segregated.
My older brother was always in the gym, and I saw how hard he worked. Around middle school, I was in there with him, and I started to love it. But it wasn't like I had a basketball in my hand at age 2.
My grandparents really wanted me to go to Harvard. They thought that was writing your ticket for the future. How could I turn that down? But my mom knew I needed a balance. She knew that I loved basketball.
I think we live in a country where we go overseas, and we fight other people's wars, and we fight terrorism overseas internationally, but we don't want to fully acknowledge the terrorism that goes on domestically.
You always have to think in the back of your mind that someone's working harder than you, someone's getting better than you. That's what drives me every day. I always think there's someone out there working harder.
My parents never planted the seed that anything was impossible. They planted the seed that things were doubly hard for a black man. My brothers and I made sure we outworked people and were better than everyone we were around.
I think, as a rookie, what guys need to be judged on most coming in the league is feel. Not skill, not shooting, not stats, not even passing, but that feel for the game, the ability to read situations and make the right play.
I love being around kids. When I see a kid that wants to talk to me or wants my autograph, I see myself in them. I just want to be a good example and be very approachable and want them to know that I'm just a regular guy, too.
It's easy for especially NBA players to get caught up in the stress of the job, to get caught up in negativity and in what other people think, and it's hard, but the best way to live is to keep things simple and enjoy every day.
I was thinking about the NBA after my fourth year, but I also realized I could get my master's paid for and have another year on the court to raise my draft stock even higher. I felt if I could do those things, I could have my cake and eat it, too.
I help my team win. That's overall what I do best. If you watch me play, I'm usually going to be on the winning team. Whether it's scoring enough points or rebounding enough or guarding the best player on the other team, I'm gonna do what it takes to win.
I'm not flashy. I'll do nice things on the floor, but I'm not going to do the really impressive dunk or make the really impressive block. I think that's what fans enjoy most about coming to basketball games, but that's not what I provide night in, night out.
I was lucky I had a mom who had seen it all. From seeing my grandfather march in the Civil Rights era, she understood the depth, character, and stability you need to go through racism. She taught me not to accept it to but deal with it and be better than it.
I want to play for a team that has a strong defensive reputation. One that relies on a system and where assists are valued. And a team that needs what I do - making other guys better, leading a team, being a defensive stopper every night. I want to be a good fit.
I think Africa is the most interesting continent on the planet. You look at a country like Egypt, and you look at a country like Ghana. It's just completely different, and the people look completely different. It's just a fascinating continent with the most culture.
I'm a guy that tries to eat right. I try to keep my body right. I try to do all the right things. But like everybody else, I have flaws. I slip up. I eat the wrong things sometimes. I have cheat days. I think I make mistakes just like everybody else, but I try to minimize them.
For me, personally, I feel like that's my duty while I'm on this earth is to serve others and use my blessing to bless others. If I'm not doing that, I feel like I'm not serving my purpose. That's my goal, that's my passion, and that's what I intend to do for the rest of my life.
I wasn't sure how it would unfold once I got to the NBA, but I knew if I got to the NBA, I could then have the platform and have the resources and the connections and the people around me that had more connections and more resources to help me really impact a lot of people's lives.
My whole career, I've been an underdog, I've been underestimated. Therefore, I've had a chip on my shoulder my entire career. Being drafted in the second round when you think you're supposed to be in the first round, a lottery pick, the chip grows bigger. And you have more to prove.
I want people to have clean water. People in this country take it for granted, the ability to drink clean water whenever they want. There are millions of people far less fortunate in this world, and it's my duty to do as much as I can to change that. I don't see that as insurmountable at all.
When you have a coaching change, when you have trades, an injury, when you have all these things happening - these are all things that are out of your control. Quickly, you start to understand that, really, the only thing you can control is going out and playing hard every night and being ready for your opportunity.