When I was a kid, I was always watching basketball on TV. All I ever did was play basketball. Whether it was sunny or raining or really hot, I was playing basketball; I always worked on it. As far as shoes, for me, I was always a Nike guy. That’s it. My mom would want to buy me all different kinds of shoes, and I was always like, Nah, Mom! I want Nikes!
I’ve camped out overnight at stores probably five times. In high school, I was always camping out. If a shoe came out Tuesday morning, I would be there the night before and I wasn’t even the first one! I was a size 13, 14 in high school, and stores didn’t get many pairs in that size, so I’d wait out all night and then wear them to school in the morning. My mom was OK with me sleeping out; she would take me. She’d sleep in the car when I was on line! She’s the best!
The difference between this season and last year is amazing. Last year was hard. I think our record this year is flip-flopped from where we were. Last year was tough. Coach said that if we work hard, we’ll keep improving. During our winning streak this year, all I kept thinking was, Coach was right! And it’s just so much fun. A winning streak is like being in the playoffs or playing single-game elimination. To see how our fans responded, it made us go out there and try even harder to win every game. I’ve never had a streak like that. In high school, the competition wasn’t that good. In college, we never won that many in a row. I’ve never been a part of anything like that winning streak.
For me, the most comfortable shoes to play in are the Huaraches. So far this season, I’ve been wearing the Zoom BBs, but I just got some new Huaraches that I’ll start to wear. I wore the Huaraches last year and they were so comfortable. They’re definitely my favorite.
Besides playing in the pros, obviously, doing all the community stuff is what makes me the most proud. For example, last fall we did a harvest day to feed the homeless. To be in the position I’m in, to be able to give back in that way, is great. We also do stuff with Big Brothers and Big Sisters. We did a Christmas party for them. I have a great time doing that stuff. The fact that I’m able to make a difference and make somebody feel good is amazing. Anytime that there’s an event where I can go to a school and read with kids, I do it because it makes me feel so good. I’m just so grateful for the opportunity.
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