I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice.

The extra pass and the extra effort on defense always get the job done.

Practices were tough.

When we went up against teams that were better, I just hoped that we could steal the victories.

Music rhythms are mathematical patterns. When you hear a song and your body starts moving with it, your body is doing math. The kids in their parents’ garage practicing to be a band may not...

The transition was difficult. It’s hard to stop something that you’ve enjoyed and that has been very rewarding.

Black people don’t have an accurate idea of their history, which has been either suppressed or distorted.

He just needs to get an understanding of how to use his considerable talent.

Many people are born into their religion. For them it is mostly a matter of legacy and convenience. Their belief is based on faith, not just in the teachings of the religion but also in...

My grandfather and my uncle both died from colorectal cancer, my dad almost died from it and I have the gene for it.

High school dropouts are forfeiting their opportunity to pursue the American Dream.

I have to say I have an incredible musical education because of my father.

I saw Islam as the correct way to live, and I chose to try to live that way.

What I have is P.H. positive chronic myeloid leukemia, which is an aberration in your white blood cells.

The 3-point shot has created a situation in the game akin to ‘Lotto’ fever.

I turned down an offer of Willis Reed and Walt Frazier for Kareem, because both those guys were in their 30s.

A lot of players think the game is all about individual performances when it’s really all about a team game.

Center is a very tough position to play.

I didn’t really seek attention. I just wanted to play the game well and go home.

He’s agile, he’s quick. Everything you need, he’s got. He’s got all the equipment. He doesn’t know how to apply it. He’s got some bad habits. Simple stuff, keep (the ball) up high, use his...

You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go. Don’t ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body.

OK, I’ll put it like this: I doubt if we will see another All-American basketball athlete who is a Rhodes Scholar.

I feel like I’ve always been a full-time historian, but nobody knows it.

I hope to be involved in a successful movie script.

In athletics there’s always been a willingness to cheat if it looks like you’re not cheating. I think that’s just a quirk of human nature.

When the line started to blur between the fans and the players, sometimes things can get ugly.

Well, I’m a professional.

If they took the idea that they could escape poverty through education, I think it would make a more basic and long-lasting change in the way things happen. What we need are positive, realistic goals...

I think someone should explain to the child that it’s OK to make mistakes. That’s how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes.

I expect more people from China and Asia to end up in the NBA.

I got all A’s and was hated for it; I spoke correctly and was called a punk.

People have suggested that, … It would be interesting for about a minute and a half, and then they’d have to get the oxygen truck.

When I was 17, I worked in a mentoring program in Harlem designed to improve the community. That’s when I first gained an appreciation of the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African-Americans rose to prominence...

I enjoy seeing new places.

I was getting hot flashes and sweats on a regular basis. That’s not normal, even for my age.

I listen to jazz mainly. Mainstream jazz.

I would suggest that teachers show their students concrete examples of the negative effects of the actions that gangsta rappers glorify.

You got guys now declaring they’re ready to play pro ball in their second or third year of high school. It’s crazy! They’re missing so much.

You’re never really cancer-free and I should have known that.

I had a moment like that with Wilt (Chamberlain). He knocked me out of bounds, I came back and faked him, came across the middle and dunked on him.

Fundamental preparation is always effective. Work on those parts of your game that are fundamentally weak.

I want people to understand that I intend to continue living and doing all the things that I love to do up until the end. And the end is by no means rushing up on...

I pitched and I played the outfield.

But people don’t know if I can teach the game. I know I can. My experience in Oklahoma was positive. It opened my eyes to how the game is played — the interaction among players,...

You can’t win unless you learn how to lose.

I have always thought that writers come with any variety of attributes. Some are capable and some aren’t.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that the 761st was Patton’s best tank unit and nobody knew about it.

I need about three seats lengthwise to sleep on a plane. It’s not easy for me to curl up.

Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement for the achievement of the group. It enhances everybody.

Your mind is what makes everything else work.