Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.
Michael Jordan
I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
There is no 'i' in team but there is in win.
If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.
I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.
I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.
If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.
My father used to say that it's never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, 'You never know what you can accomplish until you try.'
To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don't isolate.
Limits, like fear, is often an illusion.
You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.
Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night.
Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you. That's truly about the game, and in some ways that's about life too.
One day, you might look up and see me playing the game at 50. Don't laugh. Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.
I hope the millions of people I've touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and persevere with a positive attitude.
My heroes are and were my parents. I can't see having anyone else as my heroes.
We all fly. Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly longer than others.
The game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can't let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.
My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn't stand the sideline.
Sometimes you need to get hit in the head to realize that you're in a fight.
I'm not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.
In any investment, you expect to have fun and make money.
The game of basketball has been everything to me. My place of refuge, place I've always gone where I needed comfort and peace. It's been the site of intense pain and the most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction. It's a relationship that has evolved over time, given me the greatest respect and love for the game.
For a competitive junkie like me, golf is a great solution because it smacks you in the face every time you think you have accomplished something. That to me has taken over a lot of the energy and competitiveness for basketball.
I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.
I realize that I'm black, but I like to be viewed as a person, and this is everybody's wish.
The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.
Even when I'm old and grey, I won't be able to play it, but I'll still love the game.
When I lose the sense of motivation and the sense to prove something as a basketball player, it's time for me to move away from the game.
I've never been afraid to fail.
I never thought a role model should be negative.
I want to be the bridge to the next generation.
I think the players win the championship, and the organization has something to do with it, don't get me wrong. But don't try to put the organization above the players.
There is no such thing as a perfect basketball player, and I don't believe there is only one greatest player either.
I want people to understand, gambling is not a bad thing if you do it within the framework of what it's meant to be, which is fun and entertaining.
In college I never realized the opportunities available to a pro athlete. I've been given the chance to meet all kinds of people, to travel and expand my financial capabilities, to get ideas and learn about life, to create a world apart from basketball.
I want to wake up every day and do whatever comes in my mind, and not feel pressure or obligations to do anything else in my life.
I can't speak for the future. I have no crystal ball.
As athletes, we're used to reacting quickly. Here, it's 'come, stop, come, stop.' There's a lot of downtime. That's the toughest part of the day.
I'm patient.
It's a heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody. My job was to go out there and play the game of basketball as best I can and provide entertainment for everyone who wanted to watch basketball. Obviously, people may not agree with that; again, I can't live with what everyone's impression of what I should or what I shouldn't do.
I've had tendinitis since college.
