I've gotten better at calling out coverages, communication, and being vertical when they're attacking me in the paint.Collection: Communication
I can't worry about the refs and the fouls and all that.
I just got advice to work hard like I always did and never, nobody gave me everything. I always had to earn everything by myself. If I will just continue to do that, I'll be fine.
I'm still working on my skyhook. I'm just waiting for a chance to use it.
I always watch the playoffs.
If you want to be successful and you want your teammates to respect you, you got to be open to advice from the older guys.
I just go home or on vacation, or together because Croatia is nice.
I'm feeling like I can stay on the floor for a while. I can run the floor. I can fight in the post with guys. I can rebound.
If someone told me a couple years ago, 'You're going to be deep into show jumping with horses,' I would be like, I didn't even know that's an Olympic sport.
I do a better job of standing in front of the guards than I used to. I can take it to a higher level as far as reading the offenses, reading where all of our guys are, so I can get into the right position.
I just wanted to play and that's all I worried about. If someone wanted to trade for me, I always thought it was a good sign.
I don't really know any people from Boston.
Marc Gasol, everybody compares me to him. I try to look up to him and see how he plays and adjust my game like him.
My role is to be a roller, offensive rebounder, set the screens and roll hard and play defense.
I don't want to waste my minutes on the court just trying to pop.
I first started playing when we moved from my first house to a house that had a hoop out in front. Every day, I was in front of the basket shooting balls. The basket was regular height, and I was about 5 years old.
People are still feeling like it's war. Croatians hate Serbians and Serbians hate Croatians. They don't want to talk to each other.
It was even hard to imagine I was going to play in the NBA, because so many guys playing in Europe are not even getting to the Euroleague and everything. But everybody wants to play in the NBA. So when draft night came, it was a dream come true.
Houses with courts and gyms are super expensive. Not a lot of players can afford that. I know it sounds crazy to say an NBA player can't afford that, but that's how it is in L.A.
All of my shots are dunks or are around the rim.
I work out at least six days a week.
It's the NBA, arenas almost always sold out. When I played back in Europe, there would be some games with 50-100 people in the crowd, so it would be pretty much empty.
Of course I want to be on the floor in the fourth.
It's hard to fall asleep after a game. I often go to sleep at 4 A. M. because I'm thinking about the game and my mind is racing.
I just turn on the TV and watch whatever is on, like 'Star Wars' or 'Lord of the Rings.'
Sometimes I go to the pool. With the pool, sometimes it's for recovery. I go with Joakim Noah because he's a big pool guy.
Wherever I go, I have to speak English, which is my second language. So whenever you get a chance to speak in your own language? It feels good.
I was always trying to get in the paint and get the easiest shots I can.
When you're not getting minutes, you're doubting every shot you take.
I was hoping to workout with Kareem on a daily basis. After that first workout, I never got a chance.
I can do the Sky Hook, but I'm not confident with it.
I would love to be trained by Kareem. That's a GOAT.
What really pushed me into chasing basketball even more was my cousin making the NBA too, in 2003.
I had to move out when I was 14 and live by myself in the capital of Croatia. That's when it got a little serious. From there, I played on the Croatian national team.
I live in the part of Bosnia-Herzegovina where we are the only Croatians, and we are the proudest in the world.
You start learning English in fifth grade. I was 12. But even before then I was listening to American music. My neighbor was a really big hip-hop fan, so he taught me everything around hip-hop.
It was always my dream to play in the NBA, especially for the Lakers because they're the greatest franchise ever.
I always was a fan of the Lakers.
In Europe, I was limited. I didn't have minutes and when I had minutes, it was just, 'Do this. Do this. You gotta listen to the coach.'
It's good to have someone who speaks your own language just to get your mind off of basketball.
We went to SpaceX to talk to Elon Musk, that was cool. He gave us the tour. We couldn't film it or anything. There were rockets, it was impressive. It was a lot of cool stuff.
I gotta defend, I gotta protect the rim, I gotta rebound, I gotta set good picks for the guys, finish on offense, and I think that is not going to change much.
But every time I make a mistake, I put some pressure on myself. That's not really good. I'm trying not to do that.
I always have confidence in myself even though everyone doubted me.
I knew I just gotta wait for my chances in the game and I'm gonna prove what I am able to do when I get on the floor.
My first year everyone loved me. I was not getting that kind of love in my second year.
I was really mad until the 23rd pick and I wasn't selected and my agent told me, 'If nobody selects you, you're going to the Lakers.' So I was hoping to not go in the first round of the draft.
If I continue to work hard, I can make it to the NBA.
I learned how to cook, how to iron clothes. That really helped me be more mature than guys who are my age.
I got to prepare more for the games. I got to be ready for better players and starting lineups, just get a bit more focused, more prepared and got to be in better shape.