Quotes from Rodney Hood

Some of the best players in the world have played in the Rising Stars game, and to be a part of that really meant a lot.

Everybody says Jalen Rose is somebody I have to watch, even though he's a little older than me. It started back in high school. Everybody called me 'Little Jalen.'

When I'm in the pick-and-roll, I'm looking to be a playmaker first and to score second. When I'm playing off the ball and I catch the ball, I'm looking to be a scorer first and a playmaker second.

I told my wife, 'Look, I'm going to ask y'all to sacrifice. I need to go to Portland. I need to lock in.' At that time, I felt like my career... was on the line. So I told her, 'This is what I need to do. I'm going to be without y'all for a while. Y'all can come out and visit. But this is what I need to do.' She understood.

I want to go to a team that needs a guy like me, a shooter, a guy who can do a lot of things offensively, that can use me right away.

I've got to be strong for my family. I've got to be strong for my kids and everybody.

I'm happy just to be breathing. I'm joyful for life, my kids running around and waking me up every day. I got a lot to be thankful for.

I got tired of walking through Durham with people screaming 'Carolina' at me when I walk through Walmart and stuff like that.

I was real positive when I got out of surgery. I was going to attack rehab, do the little things and become a better person, a better player mentally. Once I come back, I know it's a long process, but I think I'll be better for it.

Going forward, what I can accomplish, I always have seen myself playing in the playoffs, playing deep, and winning. I want to be part of that and feel that.

I'm just grateful that I didn't give up on myself and I just kept plugging at it.

My 10th grade year I was 6-foot-4 and I grew to like 6-foot-7, but I still had my guard skills. I was playing point guard, I was a big guard. People started calling me 'Penny Hardaway' - comparing me to him because I was a big guard.

I come to work every day - I'm a competitor.

I want to get to the 'pick your poison' type of situations like James Harden.

I know what I bring to the table: my ability to shoot the ball, defend multiple positions, play multiple positions, two through the four.

I haven't played well regardless of what minutes I get, I gotta have a positive impact on the game and that's the frustrating part.

When I'm asked to be aggressive and shoot the ball, I gotta take advantage of that.

The basketball stuff has been the easiest part. The stuff that comes out of it, you lose a game and everyone talks about it on TV the next day. They may say some things that you may not agree with.

A lot of times in our jobs, we go day-to-day, we're in a routine, we sometimes become robots.

I play better when guys depend on me.

For my family, for my loved ones, my priority is to have a job and perform.

To see old faces, to give back to the kids and let them know I come from these same schools and streets, and they can make it out, too, that's my biggest message to them.

Life is not promised forever. That's the biggest thing that I learned and I enjoy and I will take with me past this pandemic, is just being able to appreciate every little thing that goes on.

It becomes second nature, you know when it comes to life or death and loved ones leaving, having to be there for your family, not just emotionally, but financially or physically.