Athlete

Going to the Portland Trail Blazers, who actually took the time to invest in me, was perhaps the best thing that ever happened to me in my career. I got to a small market where I could focus on basketball, basketball, basketball. No distractions.

Everybody's mom plays a huge role in their development and support. Mom was awesome. There is no one better. I had a good family. I had six brothers and six sisters, and they were all very supportive.

I retired at 35 in '98 and thought, 'There's only one place to go, and that's downward.' I retired at a good level. I was at peace after 15 years - I was lucky to play that long.

I don't care what anybody says: a pro athlete is going to be a role model. I tried to use that as a positive influence, to let kids know we are regular people.

To be able to have a professional 3-on-3 league and be a part of that, that's been a ton of fun, ton of fun. The fans love it, the players love playing it, and it's just a lot of fun to be around.

Education is worth its weight in gold. Make no mistake about it.

If I had to make a choice for the Hall of Fame... I would have gone in as a Portland Trail Blazer.

I wanted to retire on my own terms. I wanted to leave before they kicked me out.

All kids need to figure out how to manage their time as a young adult.

Growing up, people will tell you that you have a better chance to become an astronaut than becoming an NBA player. So when you finally get to the NBA, you've beat the odds. So when you put on that jersey, everything else is downhill.

In professional sports, things can change quickly. You keep your balance. You keep your perspective, and things will work out.

There are going to be some teams in Europe. There are going to be some teams in Asia. And they're all going to be a part of the NBA umbrella, eventually.

I love the game and played from 13 to 35 for almost every single day.

In my day, defenders played you with two hands and an elbow. You're not getting by a guy, especially if he has an elbow and a hand on you and is a strong defensive player.

Houston fans want a high value for their entertainment dollar, and if you don't win, they will drop you and go on to the next big deal.

You may score 50 points and grab 40 rebounds and have 30 assists, but if I don't make the free throws at the end of the game, and we lose, does that make you not a champion?

I had a lot of wonderful accomplishments in the game of basketball. Of course, to win a gold medal for your country - it doesn't get any better than that.

Come on, everyone wants to win a championship, but a lot of players have had great careers without one. Sometimes it just doesn't happen for whatever reason.

It makes you a better player when you're around better competition. If you pay attention, you can learn something.

You talk about demand, and these are big-name NBA players fighting for spots to be in the BIG3. So you gotta bring your game to make a squad, and that's what Ice Cube's envisioned when he started the BIG3.