Quotes from Trevor Ariza

I always thought there was more to basketball than just scoring the ball.

I'm a laid-back dude, period, but I can be vocal, if need be.

In order to get better, you've got to give to your team. If you give to your team, everybody sees it, everybody feels it, and it makes the next person next to you want to give to you.

You trust your work. You understand throughout the season everything isn't going to be perfect, stay confident, continue to take the shots you've been taking and whatever happens, happens.

I'm not worried about who's starting and who's coming off the bench.

Bottom line: If I'm open, I'm going to shoot the ball.

I'm a chameleon of sorts.

Superstar NBA players don't just change positions in their prime. Not eight years into their careers... not when they've been consistently at the top of the league in scoring... and especially not when their team lacks another dominant scorer.

My mom supports me. She's behind what I do.

We went through a whole lot in Washington, from winning 28, 29 games to going to the second round of the playoffs in two years. That was a tough time and a great time as well. Early, like my first year, it was really tough, because to be honest with you, I didn't want to be there.

There's always a switch that turns on at some point where you tell yourself, okay, the thing that I can control is the effort. When you figure that out, everything else just falls into place.

I mean, to be honest with you, my whole career I've guarded players that have outweighed me by 30 pounds. Period, 'Melo to LeBron.

There's no crying in basketball.

My son is an L.A boy, just like his daddy.

I'm a West Coast dude, definitely, but I do like the city of D.C. It's cool. A lot of things to do. It's just cold.

I play to win, because I think that's when you get the most praise is when you win.

When you have players that are willing to do anything to win, usually the results are pretty good.

In order to be a great team you have to be selfless.

Whatever helps our team win, that's what I'm going to do.

Whether I'm shooting the ball, playing defense, anything I can do to help the team win, that's what I try to do to the best of my abilities.

It took for me to get to the Lakers and for my teammates to help me get through that mental block that I had. Anytime I was open, anytime it even looked like I might be open, they always told me, 'Shoot the ball. We don't care if it goes in or if you don't make it. Just shoot it.'

My teammates have given me a lot of confidence, my coaches have also. When there's people behind you like that, you have no choice but to get better.

I'm willing to run through a wall for my teammates, for organizations that I play for. So whatever is asked of me, I try to do.

I think that the game has gotten faster, so it's more position-less more so than position, and it's about fit and how pieces fit together and having teams match up to you more so than matching up to teams.