A Quote by Jahlil Okafor
I've always gotten credit for being a big man who doesn't want to shoot threes. Throughout my entire basketball career prior to coming to the NBA, I was praised for doing that.
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I have good mid-range shot and I can shoot threes, but in Europe coaches didn't want me to shoot outside because I was tall and big.
Being from Flint, especially in the basketball community, is a big deal. Basketball in Flint, you're pretty much like a god there if you play college basketball or are lucky enough to make it to the NBA.
I made a lot of big threes throughout my career, but it was the 3-point shot that allowed me to maneuver inside the paint, post-up, mid-range game and so forth.
At the end of the day I'm a basketball player. I'm going to try and shoot more threes than mid-range or long twos or whatever. But if someone gives you a shot, you're a basketball player, you got to make reads and play.
I have to give credit to the NBA, because they've done an unbelievable job of taking our game global and putting us in a position to be able to come here and other places in the world and see how big the game of basketball is. If you have never been here, you might not really understand how amazing and how big basketball is. These fans in China love the sport, and they have more players playing than we have people living in the US.
The NBA, and more importantly, the entire sport of basketball, has always been an inclusive environment.
That's been kind of a mantra for me my entire career and something that I think every coach throughout most of my basketball career has told me: I've got to continue, every night, to try to stay aggressive and assert myself.
I want a big career, a big man, and a big life. You have to think big - that's the only way to get it... I just couldn't stand being anonymous.
I've been playing basketball since forever. The highlight of my high school career was scoring 51 points with 13 threes in a game.
I had watched Magic my whole career, even before my career, and so I knew the style of player that he was, and I knew what I had to do to prohibit him from being as effective on the basketball court as he had been throughout his career.
Throughout my entire public career I have followed the personal philosophy that I am a free man, an American, a public servant, and a member of my party, in that order always and only.
I've always had a loud mouth, and for that I've gotten a lot of attention. I did falter in some big competitions in my career, but being counted out and not being seen as a threat is something I'm used to.
Throughout my professional basketball career, I have always voiced my patriotism for my native land.
I think I'm changing the game. In that sense, I'm what Steph Curry is to basketball. Don't get me wrong: I don't necessarily think Steph Curry is the best basketball player, but he changed the game, so he's going to always go down as being remembered. Now everyone wants to shoot the 3 and shoot it from deep.
Coming in, I had no idea basketball would be a career for me, but I grew 7 inches in college and was fortunate to have a great career in the NBA. The experience taught me about service, what our great country was built on, the sacrifices people have made, how to work together and trust the people around you to accomplish a great goal.
I've always been underestimated. It's happened throughout my entire career.
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