I'm looking forward to being a regular contributor for Grantland, where I will share my experiences as I navigate through life, the world of sports, L.A., pop culture, travel and whatever else should surface. To get you up to speed on what I have been up to since last season, I thought I'd give you a recap of what my summer has consisted of, and share my state of mind heading into an unknown territory for me as the NBA lockout continues.

When the NBA season ended in the spring, I looked ahead to summer and saw a possible NBA lockout, and the prospect of a very large void. By July 1, the summer was half over, the lockout had just begun, and the void was more eminent than ever. Last week, Billy Hunter (executive director of the National Basketball Players Association) announced that we should expect the lockout to delay the start of the season; unfortunately it wasn’t news to me, other NBA players, or even NBA fans. Nevertheless, it was and still is, a daunting prospect. Beyond suggesting that we all save our money, Billy told us to prepare for the lockout to last deep into the fall. While I and other players try to heed his advice, and we’d like to see things head in the right direction soon, the lockout has also granted me the opportunity to indulge myself and try different experiences that may not have been possible in a regular offseason. Instead of seeing the time off as just a void, I decided to change my viewpoint to see it as an opportunity that had been handed to me. I thought about how I could make the best out of the situation.

Posted at 3:36 PM