We want to make sure our athletes have a future once their athletics careers are over.

If we carry on filling up the calendar, we keep on pushing the athlete, we shorten the athletes longevity. The risk is to shorten a career that could have lasted 10 years because the athlete is burnt out.

I am always fighting inside the Council to get the message across that at each competition venue, we should send somebody to inspect and to make sure the athletes will be looked after in a correct manner.

My main point in this regard was to compete for my country and my people and to receive the support of the entire Cuban society, to carry my flag in whatever competition I was in, the Olympic Games, Pan-American Games.

To cross the line for the team, to have an impact on winning the game - that's why I play this game.

I don't like the phrase 'face of the franchise.' I just want to be a part of it. I think we have a really good team. When we start winning games, it looks a lot better.

I'm an athletic junkie - I play in all the celebrity all-star games, and I've become buddies with a bunch of athletes.

You have to channel the interpretation and performance into 100 people. And with the audience, the critics.