I was never a one-dimensional guy; I was always able to block shots, play defense, get rebounds, or drive, or pass. My father made me grow up that way. He taught me to work on different things in my game and wanted me to be more than a one-dimensional player.
I do all the dirty work: play defense, grab rebounds, block shots and finish strong around the rim.
Until that moment comes when the ball comes to me every time, I have to find a way to be effective with offensive rebounds, play hard defense, blocking shots.
My father wasn't a hard guy. He was a well-liked guy. He had a lot of compassion about things in life. There were rules, but there was also flexibility within those rules. He didn't push me when it came to golf: he just taught me the right way to play the game.
The beach game taught me great lessons about how to elevate the play of my teammate, or teammates, and how to anticipate and expect the ball so much more than the indoor game ever could. It taught me - even forced me - to be a much better all-around player. That allowed me to help our USA Olympic Team in many more ways than I ever could have otherwise.
I just love playing the game. I learned it from my father, and he taught me to play every play as hard as you can, whether it's a run or it's a pass. I'm not going to be able to play forever, so I might as well go all out when I am.
I probably visualize myself, the shots I'm going to get in the game, how I'm going to play defense, what we have to do to stop the other team's best player, what it's going to take out of me, the whole aspect of the game.
I defend just like my brother Todd lived. He taught me how to play defense by the way he lived his life. I defend like every game is my last game, like anything can be taken away at any moment, and that's what my brother taught me. That's what he always preached to me, so that's how I believe the game should be played.
Being out there, I know how to play the game and know my spots. Just get rebounds, block shots, defend.
I never learned how to make music, play an instrument, then a lot of people told me things like "you will never succeed" and "it's just a dream" - anyway it made me much trouble, but in a way it made me work hard to become more than a dream.
There are a lot of times I have seen someone fight, and I think the guy is tailor made for me until they actually get in the ring with me. Fighters that are more aggressive match up better with me. There is really no defense when a guy is trying to get you. When a guy is trying to get you, you cannot get him, which makes the most compelling fight.
Basketball was always a game to me. One of the greatest things in life for me was to be able to play what I loved dearly and get paid for it. So it was always a game to me and that's how I perceived everything.
To expect for me to be one-way every time you see me is to expect me to be a one-dimensional man, which I've never been. I've always applauded my efforts to be diverse and multi-faceted.
Bochy is my guy. He raised me in the game; I was 20-years-old and as green as any grapes as you've ever seen on a vine. He took care of me, taught me how to be a professional, and taught me how to get my work done.
Since a three-dimensional object casts a two-dimensional shadow, we should be able to imagine the unknown four-dimensional object whose shadow we are. I for my part am fascinated by the search for a one-dimensional object that casts no shadow at all.
I'd never seen my father stand up. As far as I can remember, my father was always in a wheelchair. I always remembered that. And I remember my first basketball game, ever, he rolls into the gym, he stays by the door and he watches me play. And that was the only game he ever saw me play because he passed away shortly after that.
Just trying not to have a weakness in any part of my game - that's always been the approach in all aspects of my game: when the team needs me to run block, needs me to pass block, whether it comes naturally or not.