FATHERHOOD

Fatherhood changed me in ways I never could’ve prepared for.

And the crazy part is… a part of me always knew it would.

Even when I was younger, before I really understood life, I just felt like one of my callings was to be a father. Something in me was drawn to it — the responsibility, the love, the guidance, the purpose. And now that I’m living it? It’s deeper than anything I imagined.

A big part of that comes from my own father.

He has always been calm — a steady, grounded type of calm. The kind of man who doesn’t panic, doesn’t explode, doesn’t rush to anger. He talks. He listens. He thinks. Even today, he’s still the same way. And that left a mark on me.

That calmness… I carry it with me now.

I use it with my godson Ameer.

I use it with my son Kai.

I want them to feel that same peace I felt growing up — that quiet safety that comes from simply knowing, “Dad’s here. Everything’s alright.”

The Moment I Knew I Was a Father

People think fatherhood hits you the day your child is born, but for me… it was the moments after. The daily moments.

The times I was around them and felt that deep soul connection — the kind you don’t even need words for. Sometimes I’d be away, thousands of miles from home, but still feel them beside me. Sometimes I swear I can smell them or feel their little energy around me, and yeah, it sounds weird, but that’s fatherhood. It’s spiritual.

Every day it hits me.

Every day I think about them.

Every day I miss them — whether I’ve been gone a week, a day, or months.

Some days it’s manageable.

Some days it’s heavy.

But every day, it’s real.

Watching Kai in the Gym

Another part of fatherhood that hits me deeply is taking Kai to the gym with me. Those moments feel almost sacred.

He follows behind me, trying to do what I do — copying the drills, watching every moves, grabbing a ball that’s way too big for him but carrying it like it belongs to him. And the crazy part is, I never forced it. I never put a ball in his hand and told him, “Here, do this.”

He just… picked it up.

Maybe he ends up playing basketball, maybe he doesn’t. That part doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that he chose it in that moment. He walked into the gym, saw what his dad loves, and naturally moved toward it — the same way I did when I was young.

There’s something gratifying about that.

Seeing him in the mix, loving it on his own terms.

Seeing that spark.

That joy.

That curiosity.

It’s one thing to teach your son something.

It’s another thing to watch him fall in love with something you never had to push.

Those gym moments — him trailing behind me, dribbling, laughing, trying to keep up — those are the kind of memories I’ll hold onto forever.

My Favorite Memories With Kai

One of the best moments I’ve ever had as a father is simple: building things with him.

Putting together his trampoline.

Putting together his bed.

Just being at the crib, putting stuff together, and seeing him in the back trying to help me… that’s our thing. That’s our bond. He’s watching me, learning from me, trying to do what I do. And there’s something special about seeing your son want to be part of whatever you’re doing.

Those are the moments that stay with you forever.

Ameer — The Wise One

With Ameer, it’s his intelligence.

His maturity.

His ability to express himself.

The way he talks, the things he says — he surprises me. He really speaks his mind. One time he told me:

“You actually can’t do nothing. You’re always doing something.”

And that hit me harder than he realized.

Kids see things clearly.

Sometimes clearer than adults.

What I Want to Teach My Boys

I want to teach my godson and my son:

    •    Be confident.

    •    Be who you are.

    •    Be versatile.

    •    You belong in any room.

    •    Don’t ever lose yourself trying to fit in.

Because they’re both intelligent. Both unique. Both chosen for something bigger. And I want them to grow into men who stand firm in who they are.

The Hardest Part of Being a Professional Athlete

People see the lifestyle, the travel, the photos, the highlights… but they don’t see the sacrifice.

The hardest part is not being present all the time.

Having to talk through a phone.

Missing moments you wish you could’ve experienced in person.

Not always being there to take things off their mothers’ plates — to say, “You rest today, I got him.”

With Ameer, we don’t even live in the same state. So sometimes it’s flying out to get him for the weekend, doing what he loves, creating memories in small pockets of time.

That’s the part people don’t talk about enough — the responsibility, the guilt, the distance. But the purpose behind it is bigger than the sacrifice. I’m doing all of this for them. For their future. For our legacy.

What Fatherhood Taught Me About Myself

Fatherhood taught me to stay calm through anything.

Because when you’re calm, you can actually think. You can speak truthfully. You can make clear decisions. You’re not reacting — you’re leading.

That’s what my father gave me.

And that’s what I’m passing down.

The Man I Want My Son to Become

I want my son to be:

    •    Honorable.

    •    A man who does the right thing even when nobody’s watching.

    •    A man with integrity.

    •    A man loyal to himself first.

    •    A man who moves with purpose, not pressure.

A man people speak highly of — not because of what he has, but because of who he is.

What Legacy Means in Fatherhood

To me, legacy isn’t about money or status or accomplishments.

Legacy is when the world looks at your children and sees good men.

Strong men.

Principled men.

Men who stand on something.

When someone can say,

“Nah, he’s solid. He stands on morals. He’s real.”

That’s legacy.

That’s fatherhood.

That’s what I’m building — one call, one trip, one moment, one memory at a time.