During my draft process, I had Seattle come and work me out. This is one of the places where I thought I might be drafted. I'm glad it worked out I'm here.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
By the end of the 1980s, Seattle had taken on the dangerous lustre of a promised city. The rumour had gone out that if you had failed in Detroit you might yet succeed in Seattle - and that if you'd succeeded in Seoul, you could succeed even better in Seattle... Seattle was the coming place. So I joined the line of hopefuls.
Seattle has shaped me in a lot of ways.
I expected to get drafted. I knew that I wouldn't get drafted on that first day due to the fact that not a lot of people had the opportunity to see me play much.
The draft is a crapshoot, so I've been very fortunate to be drafted by the Yankees, and to have spent my whole career here.
I grew up in Boston in a very, very, very Marine town. So back in my neighborhood in Boston, a working-class neighborhood, when you got your draft notice, you went down, and you took your draft physical. And then, if you passed it, you joined the Marine Corps.
The situation at Buffalo was a rough situation, and I appreciate the opportunity, but going back to Seattle was a better situation, even though I'm not the starter. I've got a chance to get back with some familiar faces, back at a place I'm familiar with.
For me to be here tonight, everything had to be perfect. I had to get drafted by Utah, had to play with a point guard like John Stockton, and had to be coached by Jerry Sloan and Frank Layden.
I am a diehard Seahawks fan because I'm born and raised in Seattle.
I have a fond place in my heart for Seattle, so I hope that an NBA team comes back to this great city, this great sports city.
I grew up in Seattle, but I always knew I wanted to leave.