The game against the Vikings back in my second year stands out. It was kind of a turnaround for us. It allowed us to make a run at the playoffs for the first time in quite a while. The memories are so many it's hard to pin one down.
I hate it when people look at marriage, especially when it comes to girls as 'settling down.' First of all 'settle' sounds like a compromise and 'down' makes it worse. It reminds me of teachers who ask their students to 'settle down' once they enter the classroom.
I have the world's worst taste in men, so now I simply have wonderful relationships of the friend kind, but trying to settle down with somebody? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm beyond that.
That's a moment I will never forget in my life, never ever. It was the first time I made the playoffs. After we lost to the Celtics, I told myself, I never want to play a season without making the playoffs, because it was so much fun.
Obviously, not playing a game before playoffs is something that happened, but especially going into the playoffs, you try to feel yourself out, where you're at, and then get right into game tempo and jump right in and play where you were before the injury.
Man, it literally starts from after the game. I get every at-bat sent to me from the game. I'll go home, I'll watch every at-bat, kind of break down the game, kind of see, OK, what did I do? Why'd I miss this pitch? Why'd I hit that pitch?
Tell you what," I said. "After the testing after the Demon Days, when things settle down -" "Things won't settle down." "- I'm going to take you to the mall." She blinked. "The mall? For what reason?" "To hang out," I said. "We'll get some hamburgers. See a movie." Zia hesitated. "Is this what you'd call a 'date'?" My expression must have been priceless, because Zia actually cracked a smile. "You look like a cow hit with a shovel.
It's the worst kind of bad film: the kind that gets you all worked up and then lets you down, instead of just being lousy from the first shot.
I went to Golden State and helped them get to the playoffs my first year there, and they haven't been to the playoffs in 13 years. I played in Charlotte... and I got them to the playoffs. So, every team I go to, I make them better.
I will only think of settling down after Salman Khan, the other most eligible bachelor, plans to settle down. We are eligible bachelors, but he's the rock star, so let him get married first; then I'll think about myself.
I've never asked a player if they would sign my shoe. I've certainly had players come up, even before the game has started, and say, "Hey, after the game, can we trade jerseys?" It's kind of like, "Well, let's get through the game first and we'll deal with that later."
Men don't settle down because of the right woman. They settle down because they are finally ready for it. Whatever woman they're dating when they get ready is the one they settle down with, not necessarily the best one or the prettiest, just the one who happened to be on hand when the time got to be right. Unromantic, but still true.
I think you should have a mindset of getting to the playoffs, because once you get in the playoffs, it is kind of a crapshoot.
I know winning 20 is a special kind of thing, but I'd rather get into the playoffs, and be strong for the playoffs.
My whole first season was surreal. My first game was against Detlef Schrempf. There was German media everywhere. It was probably my worst NBA game. It was all a blur.
In the regular season you always say, 'Take it one game at a time.' But the playoffs, they kind of make you do that.