"My reward is just to be a better man. You're so close to losing a loved one ... the ultimate goal is to be a better daddy, a better son, a better teammate."

“To represent the United States in international competition is special recognition that not many players receive and I am really looking forward to helping USA Basketball regain its status in international basketball."

“The fact that Garnett turned pro gave me another option that I may not have felt I had. I played against Kevin many times and felt I did pretty good, so I thought I could do what he did.”

“I think if I had one year of college, I’d have done better with the mental part [of the NBA].”

“If we win, I don’t care if I get 20 boards or five boards.”

“The league gets younger every year, and the league is gonna push you aside if you don’t hurry up and make your mark. I didn’t want to be one of those guys because I knew I had enough talent to play in this league.”

“In order for me to be a successful player and a star in this league, I can’t fit it. I gotta take games over.”

“I think blocking a shot at a crucial point of the game is the most incredible feeling.”

“I’m a very emotional player. I use emotion because my team feeds off it.”

“I want to be in the best winning situation. I don’t want to be around anybody who’s just interested in playing out the season and then going home for the summer.”

“If my team isn’t motivated, it’s my fault. I can’t consider myself the best of the best until my team is able to get out of the first round.”

“I wanted to prove people wrong who didn’t think I could play at this level. I also wanted to take care of my family. It was a chance to play against the best players in the world. Mentally and physically I don’t think I was ready, but I was ready to take on the challenge.”

“Nobody’s going to make it easy for you, not in this league.”

“I always find a couple of hecklers... I’ll kinda look at them, stare at ‘em, and let them know I can’t be stopped.”

"I hate that for the rest of my life, when they look back at the worst suspensions ever, my name will come up."

"I hear people saying our league is too hip-hoppish. Tell me what that means. I have plenty of tattoos, but I love my family. I believe in living life the right way because I have a daughter and she looks up to me, and I have fans who look up to me."

"I've taken my bumps and bruises, but you've got to be willing to get knocked down and pick yourself up. You can't get discouraged. You can't lose sight of what your goals are."

"I know I'm a good person. I know I can play basketball."

"If I keep learning on the run like I'm learning now, it's going to be impossible to stop me."