“I don’t think that once you get to one level, you can relax. You’ve got to keep pushing.”

I wanted to compete at the highest level again – and that’s the NBA.

I didn’t play against the toughest competition in high school, but one reason I was able to do well in college was that I mastered the fundamentals.

You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you’ll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.

Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It’s being able to take it as well as dish it out. That’s the only way you’re going to get respect from the players.

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.

Getting high is a lot more real than listening to a politician. You can think that getting high actually did happen – that you danced, and got sweaty, and carried on. It really did happen.

I get a little bit emotional during a game!

Anyone who doesn’t feel the crosses simply doesn’t get that country.

I’m used to having money and the stuff I do, but it’s more of how I’m doing it now. I walk outside and people know me, and I really get paid for shows.

I’m not scared of Tiger. I’m not scared to go head-to-head. I’m not scared to have a long-drive contest with him.

I’ve always been a quick putter, so I should never get the yips. But I got ’em. I got ’em bad.

I’m trying to have a guitar built. What’s needed is better instruments, better amplifiers, better hardware for electric music to get better.

I don’t really get to attend church. That’s definitely one of the challenges.