When my elder sister decided to pursue sports, she faced a lot of music at home. We didn't have a TV in our village, so no one understood the value of sports. But my sister convinced my parents that participating in sports would mean a secure job in the government.

I used to run barefoot, wearing a frock. During the rains, I used to run on stones and puddles.

I really value and appreciate Menaka Guruswamy and Arundhati Katju's contribution in spearheading the historic judgement of decriminalisation of Section 377 in India. Their relentless efforts and fight against the discrimination and violence faced by the LGBTQ community in India was a ray of hope for many of us.

Freedom to love and freedom to choose who you love are one's basic rights and we shouldn't be scared to exercise them.

For somebody like me, who has trained barefoot in a small village in Odisha, I know training without proper facilities can be extremely difficult. Having experienced it all, I would like to give back to my community by creating a running academy for children.

We all have the right to be happy and to love someone without any inhibitions.

I have always supported the rights of those who want to be in a same-sex relationship. It is an individual person's choice.

I believe nobody has the right to judge me as an athlete because of my decision to be with who I want. It is a personal decision, which should be respected.

It wasn't an easy journey to participating in the Olympics. It has taken me 14 years of training and hard work.

I have watched a documentary on Caster Semenya. I am inspired by how she made a comeback.

When I am on the track, I get the greatest joy by running the fastest.

My story is very long. And for somebody to write a good story, one needs a good writer, too.

Didn't Virat Kohli fall in love and still perform? If he can, why can't I?

There are some athletes who don't like me.

The quality of competitors abroad really pushes your timings, something that's tough to replicate in the country.

When a person sets out to achieve something, one doesn't rest until the goal is achieved.

You can be rich or poor but you should have the guts to go with dreams and work hard to make them come true.

It irks me when I read the narrative that 'Dwane is salty.' I can't say anything right.

Make or miss, you still have to shoot the same shot with confidence.

When I was coaching at Kentucky - I was a grad assistant and I just got through playing and we won the NCAA Championship in 1978, so I stayed after I got through playing - we had Japan's national team coach Mototaka Kohama come to Lexington to spend the year and study basketball. He and I became great friends, so we hung out together.

I totally can relate to guys going in for job interviews, and not having a tie, not having a white shirt, and that type of thing to wear. That's why I think as coaches we can do things to help. We have plenty, we as NBA coaches and players are all very blessed to be in a profession so that we can provide for.

A team like Brooklyn has seen everything, they've experienced everything, they've had every atmosphere you can have in the playoffs and some of them have won championships. That's the advantage you have as an experienced team and the disadvantage you have as a young team.

I go to bat with people that are loyal to me.

The unwritten rule in college basketball is the black assistant goes and gets the black players. Don't worry about the X's and O's. Just recruit.

Black, white and brown people have to work together to find new answers. The only way we can stop the systemic problems that people of color have faced all our lives is through honesty and transparency.

I've seen Canada grow on so many different levels when it comes to basketball. The women's game is huge, so why not have a WNBA team here?

When I first became a head coach in Toronto, I was more of a dictator, wanted to do everything, all the development, defense, offense, whatever it was.

I'm quite sure there are other things that I could have done in life whether it's working for Humana, teaching in college, high school teacher. Coaching stuck.

I love watching players improve - even as a Little League coach.

Help me help you help yourself is kind of the motto I have.

You can't allow yourself to get typecast as a recruiter, because that label sticks and carries. I fought it. I made myself learn the game and teach the game.

I hope I can stand up and be an example that helps change the narrative: 'He understands the game from a technical standpoint. He can teach the game. He can change an offense. He can put in a zone. He can do more than recruit.'

To me, there's no honor to say, 'I'm going to start.' As long as you're getting minutes, you're closing games, that shows more of the value to the team than to say you're a starter.

It's a different animal when you're in the NBA. You come in this league and you've got 7-footers who play 7 foot who are going to protect that rim come hell or high water.

Players want to get better with their skill set and 3-point shooting, ballhandling, their bodies, whatever it is, but everything starts with a sense of urgency.

I'm not a big car person. I'm not into lots of fancy things.

I have confidence in my manhood to be able to cry at a movie or at a wedding, too.

I have a favorite poem. From Rudyard Kipling. It's called 'L'Envoi.'

I'm not a very materialistic person.

In the NBA, it's wins and losses. You don't have to deal with some of the hypocrisy of college athletics.

That really makes you feel good when guys are using some of your terminology and some of your plays in a different country.

From a pure basketball standpoint, it's hard to say you wouldn't want Kawhi Leonard on your team.

My wife was big in a lot of work in Toronto with charity work.

I've been blessed over the years and I want to help guys to feel good about themselves when they're going for job interviews. You walk in for a job interview, you feel good about yourself, you look the part, you get that confidence going.

Growing up it was humble beginnings.

I was making $19,000 a year, and I thought I was rich.

It wasn't until I went to college that I started getting interested in style. Then I got jobs that started to pay a bit more money and was able to afford some nice slacks and suits.

Outside the Raptors' organization, I definitely think guys like LeBron James, James Harden and Derrick Rose will show off some great looks. On our team, Kyle Lowry has amazing style. But we have a lot of fashionable guys: Patrick Patterson, Bismack Biyombo and Jonas Valanciunas are all really into fashion as well.

The NBA made a big move to become more stylish and business-oriented a few years back, and it's made a big change.

In fact I only had one sports jacket when I was in high school. It was all sneakers and tees.