I grew up in Zion, Ill. There were only about 10,000 people living there when I was a kid. Most of the streets are named after biblical characters.
My family had a general store. We had giftwares, office supplies, a toy and hobby center, and a Christian bookstore. I worked very closely with my father. I now realize how lucky I was to have had so much time together.
My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was 6 or 7. She battled the cancer through my childhood. That was difficult on everybody.
The advent of shopping malls took its toll on small businesses. We had to close parts of the store to meet costs, area by area, until eventually we had to close the entire store. I was in high school then. We had to move into an apartment. It was touch-and-go for a while.
My father was never ill a day in his life. Then, not long after we lost the store, he developed a brain tumor. Both my parents died shortly after I graduated college.
My mother always told me to follow my dreams. A career in basketball is all I ever wanted. I played a lot as a youngster. I wasn’t an All-American type, but I had some skills to play beyond high school.
I am a Christian and I try to incorporate this into what I do. Practicing faith in the NBA can be hard, but guys will come together after competing and meet as believers.
Love is something that changes your perspective. There’s love for a spouse, then there’s love for a child. My daughter Lauren has been part of my entire professional career in basketball, every step of the way. We’ve developed a very strong relationship, not unlike the one I forged with my father. If I came home one day and saw the house on fire, and I knew she was in there, I’d run in without hesitation. I don’t think life would be worth living without her.
There was one emotional moment when I was coaching for the Clippers. I was standing on the court during the national anthem and it suddenly hit me. My father wasn’t there to see what I’d accomplished. It choked me up. He would have been proud of me, I think.
– as told to Jim Cryns
