Most of the time, it’s natural what I do when I dunk the ball.

Usually, I don’t have a whole lot of time to think about it. When there’s not much time, I just try to get the ball in the basket.

The most important thing is to get myself in a position to dunk, so I don’t worry about how I’ll dunk until I actually leave the ground. The creativity comes from the instinct within me. I can’t speak for other people, but for me, everything happens when I’m in the air.

A lot of times I get bumped, so sometimes I don’t even know which way I’m going to put it down.

I pay close attention to the defense. I’m trying to make a move, so I focus on getting around them to get myself in a position to score.

Anytime I make a good move and dunk, it gets me motivated and my adrenaline starts pumping. The same thing happens with a good pass, a good rebound, and especially a big blocked shot.

I know it motivates me and my teammates, but a slam dunk really seems to motivate the crowd. And anytime the crowd gets into it, the team usually gets behind me, and then everyone’s excited.

I think a big part of playing basketball well is keeping it fun and keeping myself motivated. I try to be relaxed, though. I’ve noticed the more relaxed I am, the more I’m going to be able to think out there, and that’s when I’m at my best.

Shawn Kemp is a forward for the Seattle Supersonics.