“In the closing seconds of every game, I want the ball in my hands for the last shot – not in anybody else’s, not in anybody else’s in the world.”

Basketball was always a game to me. One of the greatest things in life for me was to be able to play what I loved dearly and get paid for it. So it was always a game to me and that’s how I perceived everything.

The best players will play. That’s the way it will always be.

I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American.

Once you are labeled ‘the best’ you want to stay up there, and you can’t do it by loafing around.

I like being by myself.

When I was a player, I didn’t expect my teammates to play the way I did. I did expect them to work hard every day and get better. And I never learned anything by losing.

Maybe it’s God disguised as Michael Jordan.

I think it’s good for a fan base because as we all know the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited.

If you tell a teammate you’re ready to play as tough as you’re able to, you’d better go out there and do it.

Guys like Larry Bird — he played so hard, he wants everybody else to play hard. That’s not unreasonable. Any coach would want that and demand that.

My opinion about basketball, the way I was taught, was when you step on the court, you play to win.

The best basketball announcer is one who allows you to close your eyes.

I think you have to work very hard and dedicate yourself and have the respect of your teammates before you’re about to go out and just try to take a game over by yourself.

I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody – somewhere – was practicing more than me.

I think a lot of blue collar people related to me because a lot of people work for their money.

If there was a payment to the bank due, and we needed shoes, she’d get the shoes, and then deal with them guys at the bank. I don’t mean she wouldn’t pay the bank, but the children always came first.

Whenever I do a parody it’s not meant to make you hate anybody’s music really.

You don’t get to know anybody in a movie until after it’s over. You work less together in a film than you do onstage.

Chekhov was as important to me as anybody as a writer.

I don’t believe in looking past anybody – I wouldn’t look past the Little Sisters of the Poor after they stayed up all night.

I’m delighted. I don’t know of anybody who had a statue built of them while they were living. It’s a great feeling.

Anybody who deliberately propagandizes with lies should be held up to scorn and ridicule.

My concept is that anybody has creative ability, but very few people know how to use it.

Then we don’t have to celebrate it or let anybody know about it, simply let the mind have firm confidence in the goodness and keep going like this.