We had some great years in Portland. We went to the finals twice. We won 63 games one year. You can't tell me those weren't championship teams.
The key ingredient is talent - you've got to have talent. If you look at the regular season, they've got the best record in the entire league, so they've got the talent.
In professional sports, things can change quickly. You keep your balance. You keep your perspective, and things will work out.
I don't care what anybody says: a pro athlete is going to be a role model. I tried to use that as a positive influence, to let kids know we are regular people.
Going to the Portland Trail Blazers, who actually took the time to invest in me, was perhaps the best thing that ever happened to me in my career. I got to a small market where I could focus on basketball, basketball, basketball. No distractions.
Education is worth its weight in gold. Make no mistake about it.
