Coaches were all saying that I was really talented and I had potential, but coming from Serbia, it wasn't easy. The '90s were the hardest years for our country - we went through two wars.

Everyone wants to be happy - people find happiness in different ways. While you want to pursue your career 100 percent, I think it is very hard to give 100 percent in something else. It's important to find this balance, and priorities change throughout life.

I think it's better not to mix professional life and personal life - although it is hard.

You want a coach who is going to push you and be strong and be in your corner when it's tough, but sometimes you have coaches who think they are more important than the players. That's where the conflicts come.

I always wanted to be an athlete growing up.

Athletics are not my wheelhouse because sports were mean to this uncoordinated kid growing up, a 6-foot-2 14-year-old who never could do a layup.

As a professional athlete a lot is going to be said about you - but I just try to move forward and try to achieve my goals.

Sacrifice counts for a lot in sport. From a young age, I couldn't do the normal things that the boys of my age get to do. Maybe you have a nice car or a nice house, but at times you just want to be a normal guy and you can't.