A lot of freshmen will come in and say they can do what Carmelo did, but not everybody is Carmelo Anthony. He was a special player. Syracuse was a great fit for him.
I've never been in a place where I've walked in the street and actually feel home, where I don't feel like a refugee.
I try to let my highs not be too high and my lows not be too low. And I do that just because I try to control my emotions.
I have friends growing up in Egypt. I have friends in England. And they just can't believe that what I used to say, it used to be almost like a joke. I used to say I'll be in the NBA one day.
Being from the Sudan, there is a lot of stuff going on in Sudan, so I try to do a lot there with my foundation. That's my way of giving back.
From where I came from, the way I was raised, when somebody does something for you, you always want to give something back to them.
When we were in Egypt, we were refugees. My family and I were homeless. For five years, out of all of the countries in the world that my father was contacting, the only one that took us in was England.
I grew up in Brixton as a young teenager playing basketball for the Brixton Topcats, which marked the beginning of my career.
There are so many kids in Africa who adore these athletes in the NBA and see themselves in them, even though we're so far removed.
In Africa, kids don't look at black athletes and say, 'They're different from us.' They look at them and say, 'That can be me.'
I had this one teacher, and as I got older and translated things he used to say, it was racist and hatred stuff he was saying toward me and my brother.
In the States, I get recognised all the time. I met a fan once who had a tattoo of my face on his arm. I can see how some people get carried away with it, but I don't have trouble staying grounded.
My whole life, I've been getting used to adapting. There are small differences, but culturally, the States and the U.K. are very close.
Egypt was tough without our parents. My brothers and sisters had to work day by day, and every time they collected a pay cheque, they brought it into the house and put it on the table. That's how we lived.
My older brother played professionally in Europe. My other older brother went to UConn on scholarship, finished his education in political science, then he went on and played in Europe for years. My other brother played in Europe.
To me, somebody can say what they want about me all day, whether it's my game or my personality or who I am as a human being.
Whatever the issue is, whether it's Ebola or something else, I just want to get involved. Sometimes, even if it's just my time or my words, if my involvement changes people from donating $1 to $2, then I'll do it.
I remember when I was a kid, as a refugee in Egypt, every day, there was always a hope that we'd get to leave tomorrow and we'd get to go somewhere.
I was very skilled at football at a young age in Egypt. I never played with a real ball. We used rolled-up socks or a balloon with a towel ducktaped to it, and we played on concrete in bare feet.
Here in the U.K., I want basketball to get better. I want the kids to have more playgrounds. I want the kids to have more attention. I want basketball to be on TV more often. But I really don't care if I walk down the street and somebody recognises me or not.
I think everyone in this league should aim to become good enough to shoot for the MVP. Not everyone can do it, but you've gotta try your hardest.
I always said if I didn't focus on basketball, then it would have been football. I was pretty good and was asked to go to England trials.
At 13, I concentrated on my school work and playing sports, which, to this day, is something I still believe is very, very important.
I don't think it changes who you are inside. But when you have a lot of money, it makes a lot of things easier. That's why everyone wants to be successful.
In basketball, the legs are the most important part of your body. A lot of people think it's the upper body because you shoot with your arms, but your legs are always carrying you, so if you don't lift leg weights, your muscles will be easily fatigued.