ON ALMOST GIVING UP ON HIS DREAM:
It was hard. It got to the point where I was telling my agent that I don’t want to try out for any NBA team ever again. I worked out with the Bulls countless times. Going down there, I’m feeling and everyone’s feeling like I’m the best player in the gym. Playing amazing, preparing, working hard the whole summer for my opportunity with the Bulls, the hometown team and I was just stressed. Worked out with them four or five times, this and that, and still, them not picking me up. So it got to the point I was telling my agent, ‘You know what? I’m done with this whole NBA thing. Let’s just ready for Europe and take the next step there,’ and we did. That’s when I went to Russia, signed an unbelievable contract—three years, $3.4 million—and just wanted to create my foundation there.