How I Work

You’d like my workouts. I’ve always got the music blasting.

When I’m on the court, reggae helps me get into the right zone. All reggae. Only reggae.

Reggae reminds me of home. The Bahamas. Eight Mile Rock. That’s my home and I’ll never forget it. Back there, we’ve got our own reggae music. You might never have heard these tracks but if you spent a week with me, it’d become your favorite music, too. I guarantee you.

Eight Mile Rock taught me about a lot of things in life, and one of those things is the energy you can get from music. Reggae has great beats, but more than anything it tells stories. It talks to me. It talks to me about my home and reminds me of the struggles that my six brothers and sisters all went through. It talks to me about the guys on the corners dealing drugs who never bothered me because they knew my mom (everyone knew my mom). It tells my story in a way that movies and books and other stories can’t.

When I’m working out, my music reminds me that I’m happy and free to pursue my dreams. It makes me want to work that much harder because I’ve learned not to take anything for granted. Going through the draft process feels unreal to me. I used to watch the draft when I was a kid and it seemed so far away. I know how much work I have put in to get to the point where I’m have the opportunity to go to the NBA. I couldn’t have done it without my family and God and a bunch of good people at my side.

I don’t talk about my childhood so that you should feel sorry for me, but I do want to show people how motivated I am. I know how hard I work and how much I love this game.

Whatever situation I find myself in next year, I’m going to go as hard as I can. I want to compete with the best in the world.

But first, I want to enjoy this process. After I shake the commissioner’s hand, I’ll be thinking about everybody from Eight Mile Rock who’s rooting and cheering for me. I see you guys. I know what type of music you’ll be playing back home tonight. Turn it up for me.

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