I remember when we were in Egypt as refugees. It was tough, but there was always hope - hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel.Collection: Hope
Men from my tribe in Sudan - the Dinka tribe - are very tall, so you could say I was born to play basketball.
I don't mind someone saying I'm not good enough. It hurts more when someone says you're faking an injury.
The older you get, the more you appreciate where you are and the more confidence you have in what you can do.
South Sudan is my home, and I am humbled to be in a position to help those suffering from lack of access to basic needs, especially the children facing severe acute malnutrition.
I'm not the same person on the court. I'm different when I'm off the court. Off the court, I don't need to be aggressive or anything.
I only lived in Sudan until I was four years, so I cannot really relate to that. It is just a different lifestyle.
I am extremely proud to be a part of the NBA's first game in Africa. Coming from South Sudan and having participated in the Basketball without Borders Africa camps in Johannesburg previously, I am truly honored to be part of this historic event.
When I go out there, I try to do everything I can to win. That doesn't mean I have to score more than the other team; it may mean stopping the other team.
I know I make a lot of money, but for me - I came from nothing, so it's always been about the love of the game.
Every single team that I've played for, every single person would tell you that I've given it everything every single day.
For me, I had a close family. There were others like me who were going through a lot of rough times, so we always came together. It was understood that we would overcome hate, as long as you surround yourself with love and what's real.
The best thing I learned from Manute was to be selfless. He was always about his people. He was about helping others.
I've seen a lot and experienced so many different cultures, and that's helped me a lot in my career and helped me mature as a person.
There are a lot of people in Chicago that I miss. I was there one year out of high school. So I basically grew up there.
There are a lot of people you never hear about that helped me a lot with my career and helped me become who I am that I've known for a long time and I still stay in touch with.
I believe leaving school early was the right decision to make, but at first, I wasn't sure. But my coaches told me to follow my heart and there wouldn't be any regrets, and that's exactly what I did.
When people ask me where I'm from, I say I'm from the Sudan. But when they ask what my hometown is, I say London. It's where I lived, and it's where my whole family lived.
Even in high school, when I had injuries, I tried to play with them. When I shouldn't have worked out, I worked out.
What I try to do is to look ahead of me and not look back. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing, I'm just focused on trying to get better.
I've been in situations in my career where I've had slumps and struggles. I always stick with it and just keep working.
When you have a new coach, a couple new guys, and a young team, the frustrating part throughout the year is the up and down.
Because I was the youngest boy, I was always my mom's favorite - and my brothers were always tough on me.
I really didn't want to play basketball for the longest time, but I just wouldn't stop growing. But I always wanted to be a professional soccer player.
At some point, when I was in Chicago for maybe eight years, I never thought I would leave Chicago. I wish it would have happened that way, but everything happens for a reason.