The shoe culture in Houston is cool. There's a lot of sneakerheads and a lot of people that love shoes here - a lot more than I thought.Collection: Cool
My first pair of shoes my mom bought me. I was born in 1985 and my mom is the biggest North Carolina/Michael Jordan fan there is, so when those first Jordan's came out those were my first shoes ever. I don't remember but I guess it started from there.Collection: Mom
At the end of the day, that's all that matters. Winning a championship. Everything else is failure.Collection: Failure
Some people - which I don't understand - kind of get mad like I'm disrespecting shoes. I'm like, 'They are sneakers, they are meant to be worn, meant to be played in.' And I hate when people use them as trophies. They are sneakers. It's one of my pet peeves. I got pairs if I don't want to wear, I will get a couple pairs of them.Collection: Pet
Every day, every game, I leave it all out there.
People think I play hard. It's just me wanting to be in the NBA and trying to prove every game that I should be here.
I am the finesse king, especially when it comes to shoes.
I hate when people talk about certain guys and say they can't work together.
I really like a lot of Tom Ford. His leather sneakers are my most worn shoes.
I love Tom Ford loafers.
I really love shoes that can go with a lot of different things and mix up a little bit.
I like shoes that are definitive, and they know exactly what they are.
Figure out your niche and maximize it.
Every game, somebody is asking me where I got my shoes.
I just love shoes, man.
The goal is to be in a place where you're wanted. You want to be with who wants you. I think that's what every player wants.
Nobody wants to be somewhere that doesn't want them.
I could wear Jordan 1's every day with anything. So many different flavors.
Cuttino Mobbley always had on suits every single game. I've never seen Cuttino without a suit. He used to always have on suits.
It's hilarious; every time I get to a new city, I'll have a thousand DMs about where to get pancakes.
I look at myself as someone who's really true to the sneaker culture.
I don't like shopping for specific things; I shop pieces. I look at it like, 'I love this, so I'll buy it and I put it in my closet, and it disappears until I need it.'
If you leave home and, at least some of the time, someone doesn't tell you that they don't like your outfit, you're not doing it right. You're not trying. You're not taking enough risks. You know, somebody should tell you they don't really like you're outfit. I enjoy when people say that, actually.
I've bought more shoes during the coronavirus than I ever have. Probably in my entire life.
I don't know anybody that buys more shoes on eBay than me. I like eBay because I can always find rare gems in my size. I always have upwards of 40 sneakers in my cart at any given time.
That whole era of Chris Webber with Nike was, to me, the golden era. Everybody was getting their own signature shoe.
It's basketball, man. It's being smart, using your size as an advantage. I can get into people. I can get into your stomach, so you can't back me down. I can stay in front of you, I can move my feet, I can be aggressive. People don't understand that it can be a disadvantage being tall, too.
Everybody makes a big deal about small ball. Well, I've guarded Anthony Davis every time I've played him, since he first came into the league.
There are a number of ways to define most valuable player. For me, it's the guy who means the most to his team.
As someone who has carved out a career in this league by making winning plays, being tough on defense and just generally doing the dirty work for my team, I always hesitate to say any player is unguardable. I just hate that term.
I'm a competitor. I want the ball when it matters. But I came to Houston because I wanted to play with Chris Paul (a guy I've been close with since we were kids) and James Harden.
You come from the college, you're the man. I was second-team All-American. I got drafted by Toronto, but they just took me because I was the best man on the board. They didn't need me. I didn't get a whole lot of help or guidance. I wasn't playing. I couldn't get reps in practice. And it's big-boy basketball. Grown men.
I got tired all of the stories about, 'He is a tweener. He doesn't have a position.' I knew I could play. I played hard. I played both ends of the court. I know what I could do.
I am a dope dude.
I like to hoop but I don't want to be remembered for one thing, like 'oh he just plays basketball.'
I don't want my own shoe. That is something I have never wanted. If anybody is pitching that, I would say no. I feel like that is the only thing that limits me, being a signature athlete, because you have to wear your signature shoe all of the time. I don't want no parts of that.
It's never like I go sneaker shopping just to get shoes for a hoop game.
My shoes are an expression of me, how I'm feeling. Some nights I might wear some crazy stuff. Some nights I might be more regular.
The Kaws IV is terrible. That's a bad hoop shoe. That suede rubs against your feet. I had to triple my socks. The leather on the inside is a no-go.
Me getting cut from Toronto that first year, definitely helped with the ego. It was deflating. Some people either quit or some people get hungry.
Playing on different teams, playing all the different places I've played, the consistent thing is I'm always vocal and working hard.
James Harden is one of the best offensive players in the game.
I feel like I can adapt to any defense.
When I came out of school, being a 'tweener' and not having a natural position was my biggest knock.
It doesn't matter how tall you are if you have heart and you're a competitor.
That has always been my initiative, to do my own thing and take things that don't really go together and put them together. Wear a tuxedo jacket with some track pants, whatever I feel like, whatever I think is dope.
Aside from the states, Israel's my favorite country. I love it there. I still go there to visit.
That Stash Kobe 1, that is probably my number 1 shoe I have ever worn on the court. To wear it against Kobe in his last game against the Suns it was real fun, and for him to say something to me about them it is crazy. He is signed them up for me and personalized it. It was pretty dope.
There's nothing, nobody can pay me enough money and nobody can do enough for me to wear something I don't want.
I know a lot of people do charity work, but I always say find something that you are interested in to be able to give back.