I met wonderful people playing in the NBA. Whether it is the officials, the scorekeepers, all the people who work for the NBA, not just for the Lakers, but I'm talking about just for the league itself.
It wasn't about the money. I was just playing basketball, playing with my brother, happy being in the NBA.
I love basketball so much, I love playing it. I just never thought I could make it to college, make it to the NBA or stand up here today in front of you guys and be an NBA MVP. It’s just a surreal feeling, and I had so much help, so many people believe in me when I didn’t believe in myself.
At first, I was thinking about just getting to the NBA, just watching the NBA, being one of the All-Stars in the NBA.
I wasn't drafted. I was just playing really good basketball, enjoying playing basketball with my national team and never really thought: 'I have to get to the NBA.'
I never rushed the fact that I wanted to be in the NBA or rushed the fact, you know, they asked me about the NBA. I always (unintelligible) back to the fact that I just love playing with my teammates.
When I was small, playing NBA Live, that's how I knew everyone in the NBA. That's how I learned about the players.
I thought, 'I'm going to play in Yugoslavia, then I'll go to play in Italy or Spain.' Then I'll be 28 or 29 and I'll try NBA. I never thought I can play in NBA because NBA was totally different world for us in Europe.
A lot of people look at playing overseas as a step down from the NBA. And, yes it is a step down from the NBA money-wise, but there is just as good of talent overseas as in the NBA. Not better talent.
Yeah, I was ready for the NBA. Because I went through a lot of things back overseas. And you know, playing professionally from a young age and then playing against the older guys - guys over 30; older, talented guys - was really tough, but it also helped my game grow and just get me ready for the NBA.
I never expected that I would be somebody. I just started playing and when I was 12, 13, thought: 'Wow, I'm playing good.' Then Dinamo Zagreb were speaking about signing me, I thought: 'Hmm, maybe I can achieve something.'
It's a new NBA, man. Guys are playing on a new team every year now, and it has nothing to do with how good of a player you are, it's just how the NBA is.
A lot of times things get blown out of proportion in a negative light, especially in the NBA, ... But there are a lot of players in the NBA who really care about the community and want to use their basketball-playing ability for a good cause.
I'm just playing basketball. I just want to be a great player. That's it. That's all I'm thinking about. If the other stuff comes, it comes, but I'm just fortunate to play in the NBA Finals and just to play basketball, period.
Men are boys for such a long time and really don't start getting the great roles until they're in their mid-thirties. But then they've got a long time to do them, whereas for women, it's all about playing younger and younger and younger.
When I first went to Stevens Point, I never thought I'd ever be close to the NBA. I didn't even think about the NBA. The big start for me was making it to the final cut for the Olympic team, and I was the only one who was going to be back for my senior year of college.