“I’m at peace with myself. The main thing is not letting people dictate what I do or what I am.”

On the best tactic when playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar- Just give him the ball.

You either have to be great or you have to be bad to get a good pick.

Just celebrate the life you had, not the life you could’ve had.

The looks, the stares, the giggles . . . I wanted to show everybody that I could do better and also that I could read.

Standing on that platform, I said a silent prayer. I thanked God for giving me the strength and the opportunity to come back, to play basketball again, and to be part of that whole magnificent Olympic experience. It’s a memory I will always cherish.

I am a businessman. This is what I do each and every day. I love it. I love coming to work. I never have a bad day.

A woman always remembers. Remember that.

For me, it always goes back to something I learned in basketball.

And we knew that all of the other leagues were at home and millions of people were watching. So it made it a special day to play on Christmas.

When I’m under the gun and I’ve got pressure on me, I don’t panic. I look for the right solution, and then I go for it.

Larry, you only told me one lie. You said there will be another Larry Bird. Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird.

Magic is who I am on the basketball court. Earvin is who I am.

I strive on pressure.

I want to be here for a long time, so I am going to do everything I have to do to be here. And I want to walk my daughter down the aisle and give her away to somebody some day.

If you come to me and say, ‘Hey look I’m a racist,’ or ‘I discriminate against blacks,’ or ‘I don’t like you because you’re African American.

I guess when people ask what is the biggest transition to the NBA from college, it is definitely defense and the mental part.