“I was just a big fan of tattoos always growing up, and I wanted something cool that symbolizes what I’ve been through in my life, and everything on my chest and my back is like a collage.”

Everything has been such a whirlwind ever since I stepped foot in the league and everything has been like a dream, so I’m just blessed to be in this position.

Everybody. No matter how they feel about me, everybody on Oklahoma City, on that team, of course I watch them. I support them. I want them to do well.

I want them to get a pulse on us as players, and a lot of players might not want that, but that’s what I want.

I failed so many times and got back up. I got through the toughest times with my family, but I’m still standing.

I’ve been second my whole life.

And last, my mom. I don’t think you know what you did. You had my brother when you were 18 years old. Three years later, I came out. The odds were stacked against us. Single parent with two boys by the time you were 21 years old. Everybody told us we weren’t supposed to be here.

I want to show people who I really am, especially aspiring basketball players who want to be at this level. That’s what I’m about.

Music has always been a big part of my life. It’s kind of like a refuge for me. I just use it to get away.

I look at my jersey and see the NBA logo, I’m like, ‘I didn’t think I’d be here.’

I’ll play all five positions if my team needs me to.

Work harder than your opponent.

I just loved being in the gym. It was tough at times. Sometimes I wanted to quit, but I’m glad I stuck with it.

I’ve been more content with just who I am.

If I continue to just get to the playoffs every year, I guess you could say I arrived, but right now I’m just trying to find my way.

You hear all these stories about, ‘There’s one in a million guys that make it to the NBA and stay there.’ To see people cheering for me and when they say my name, it’s just crazy. It’s still crazy to me.

I’ve learned what it feels like to lose, believe me. But I think, in the end, that is just going to make winning that much better.

I go back with this woman down a murky hallway, and then without missing a beat – these ladies are all business – she goes.

I let ballplayers yell back at me because I wasn’t trying to prove I’m boss. I know I’m boss.

I called him over and told him about it. He told me that in the back there’s a tank they keep the lobsters in and while they’re in there, they fight and sometimes one loses a claw. I told him ‘then bring me a winner.’

On dope and crack I passed away deader than a door knob But now I’m back

The ones that you sing when you’re driving in the car and as a singer you always go back to them.

Every time you think a thought it ‘registers’, and comes back to you according to the vibrations and wave lengths sent out from your mind.

I’m trying to bring the romance back to music. Old school… Music is meant to be a part of your blood stream, and if it doesn’t affect your bloodstream, then you may as well put it back in the shoebox underneath the bed.

Every day is Thanksgiving for me, man. Yeah, I still have an audience, and they ask the local promoter, “When is Al coming back?”