“Being humbled has been a part of my life for a long time.”

“Death always seems to be around me.”

“For years I've been seeing my young brothers wearing Scarface T-shirts, John Gotti T-shirts, Rick James T-shirts. We don't have any icons or idols to look up to, just rappers and professional athletes.”

“I consider myself a little weak.”

“I don't think nobody's doubting I can play basketball.”

“I don't want a girlfriend because that means I've got a responsibility. I have a responsibility to call you. I have a responsibility not to be with another woman. I have a responsibility to be there on time when you need me.”

“I think it's easy for people to say, 'Because you do this, you must be this kind of person, vain or uptight or mean to people.' People have a sense of who you may be because of the job you do. That's unfair judgment.”

“I was going to fight for what I wanted first, and that was being in L.A. and being a Laker. L.A. was the first place that came to my mind. That's where my heart was at.”

“If your dad always has candy, how cool is he? Coolest dude in the world. My kids think I'm cool.”

“I'm going to say my favorite thing is to eat salads, and I'll be like the altar boy.”

“It's good that I put my personal ego aside. My basketball ego was, 'Why we negotiating?' But my personal ego didn't take it personal. I put my personal ego aside a little bit.”

“I've got a winner mentality, the mentality of a champion.”

“Most people don't want to get married. Being married, that's a responsibility.”

“My grandmother was always upbeat, a naturally happy person. I think I got that from her.”

“My mother and grandmother raised me. Queens raised me.”

“Negative publicity makes people forget your best times.”

“Organizations are trying to save extra money. Players are trying to get extra money. That's the way it is.”

“People making it like I sit there and eat a whole plate of candy before I play a basketball game. I don't think anyone could do that.”

“Remember when Jay-Z wore a Che Guevara T-shirt? Nobody knew who Che was. Then Jay-Z wears it, and it's everywhere.”

“Respect goes a long way when you carry yourself a certain way and show manners when you first meet someone. If you do that, then it's hard for somebody not to like you.”

“The Lakers are family. My kids don't have to switch schools. Little things like that are important. People don't think about things like that. I feel like something special is going to happen in this town.”

“The Mavericks and I have mutually agreed that it's in the best interest of both parties for me to step away from the team.”

“The young men in the inner city are without guidance, robbing and shooting each other with no remorse... Our system is crazy because we're planning to fail. Everybody needs something to grasp on to.”

“We all have regrets, but the thing is to learn from life.”

“When I had to bury my child, I probably didn't start grieving until a year and a half later.”

“Where I'm from, you're a square if you go to church or if you decide to read the Koran or Bible.”