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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND


February 15, 2013


David Lee


HOUSTON, TEXAS

Q.  How does it feel to be back?
DAVID LEE:  Great to be back.  On the West squad this time.  It's unbelievable.

Q.  Is this sort of the validation of the team's success, too?
DAVID LEE:  Absolutely.  Last time I came here it was more of kind of statistics and we were on a losing team.  But it feels a lot better this time around, that I'm on a winning team and that I'm a product of that, it's great.

Q.  When you look at the past year, are you starting to think all of the things you wanted to do as a player are coming to fruition?  You're a second time All‑Star.
DAVID LEE:  Yeah, like you said, I've been through some ups and downs as far as teams I've been on, and trying to find myself.  But this has been a dream season thus far.  Our team has done better than expected.  I'm continuing to get better as a player.  And I can see this is something that can build towards an even brighter future.

Q.  You're keeping some pretty interesting company as you look around this room.  Is that unreal, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, the icons of the game right now?
DAVID LEE:  I've got a lot of respect for those guys as players.  To be recognized with players like that is a huge honor, and something I hope I can continue throughout my career.

Q.  (Inaudible)
DAVID LEE:  Our team has had a lot more success.  I think the two things are defense and rebounding have been two things that have changed a lot as well.  The chemistry of our team is as good as anybody's in the league.  Talking about how close NBA games are, just one or two little things can make a difference.  The chemistry for us has been enormous.  I think that that's really going to steer us in the right direction.

Q.  (Inaudible)
DAVID LEE:  I think part of it was just having that full training camp with the new coaching staff.  I give them a lot of credit for that.  They've simplified defensively what we're doing.  We do the same things game in and game out.  Some days we execute better than others.  It's made it easier for us to get better at.  It's something we can point out the mistakes and continue improving on throughout the year.

Q.  (Inaudible)
DAVID LEE:  Yeah, last time I was a replacement, 36, 48 hours before.  So it was kind of like a blur.  By the time I got down there, it seemed like I played in the game and left.
Now it's something that I'm really getting a chance to enjoy.  Plans for friends and family to come down and be a part of.  I feel a lot more comfortable and a lot more mature being here the second time.  I kind of know the ropes a little bit.

Q.  Was there a time you thought you wouldn't get back?
DAVID LEE:  I hoped that was not the case.  It's not an easy thing to get back to an All‑Star Game.  The fact that I'm here again is a great honor, like I said.  And it's something that you always have confidence you can make it back.  But it's not like it takes 25, 30 guys, they take a very select few.  So it's a great honor.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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