“I try to make it look easy, but the behind-the-scenes stuff is the challenge.”

We’re going to have to work. We’re going to have to play well. Nothing will be given to us.

I want people to understand they have to live their own lives the way they want to and not just do what we do.

Control your own destiny! Control your own destiny!

Sometimes people make it seem like you have to have certain prerequisites or a crazy life story in order to be successful in this world. But the truth is you really don’t.

That feeling is so intoxicating, walking off the court holding the Larry O’Brien trophy. So I just want to do that again.

I always have an optimistic view, no matter what it is.

I just feel so much more comfortable and confident every game I play.

I am not a BART regular but have taken it probably five times to and from the city with some of my teammates. Nice to just hop on the train and enjoy some of the views of the Bay Area while I’m out.

I never looked at my mantel and envisioned an MVP trophy sitting there. This is pretty crazy.

A wet spot on the floor kind of put a scare in myself, so you never know inside those lines what might happen.

It’s really annoying for me. That’s not what I’m playing for, to be the face of the NBA or to be this or that or to take LeBron’s throne or whatever.

Honestly, I could care less about other people’s opinions about me.

I have fun out there on the court, smiling, laughing, trying to have good demeanor.

In college, a loss is pretty devastating. That feeling kind of goes away in an 82-game season. You hate to lose, but you also have a lot more games to make up for it.

Once it gets down to single-digit games, you know the season’s end is approaching, and we’re all pretty physically tired.

I’m just blessed, man, to be able to represent solidarity with the small schools I went to.