When I was four or five, I had an older brother who got paralyzed from the neck down in junior high school. Some kid did a wrestling fall on him and hit his spine. We had to take care of him. I went from being the baby to not really being the baby anymore.
Scottie Pippen
Once you get a taste of success, it's a hard thing to turn down.
I may go so far as saying LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game. Because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will, but he keeps everybody involved.
Everything was a lesson learned and a step forward for me.
It was truly an enjoyable moment in my life that I will never forget having the opportunity to play for two gold medals. But I think nothing sticks out more than winning a championship in 1991 for me.
In the playoffs, it's win or go home. You might not have a chance to look back at a game and say, 'Man, we didn't box out here.'
I'm a guy who is easy to get along with, and I'll put up with a lot of things. But not dishonesty.
Don't disrespect me, lie about it, and then come smile in my face and act like nothing's wrong.
Playing with Michael Jordan would be a great opportunity for me. I would have someone around I could learn a lot from. I look up to him as a player and as a person, and that would make me a better player and person.
He lifted weights, he rode the bike; he kept himself going before and after games, as well as practices. He always kept himself in top shape and was very determined. You put a relentless Dennis Rodman out on the basketball court, and you better have someone there to match his energy. If you don't, it's going to be a long night.
Yes, I think the '96 Bulls are the greatest of all time. I think the 72-10 record speaks for itself and the fact that we were able to cap it off with a championship. What it boils down to is we had a dominant style, a dominant defense, and we were a very good offensive team. It was the way we dominated our opponents that separated ourselves.
Basketball is such an escape from a lot of things.
I've never seen a player that can dominate a game the way LeBron James can. He don't always have to score. He makes plays for other guys. But when the game is on the line, and you need a shot to be made, he's going to make that play.
I'm a family man, and I couldn't be happier. My wife and I have been blessed with an incredible family, and my kids are my life.
Defensive awards and accolades aside, to have your jersey retired puts you in a position where you'll be known forever.
The respect I had to give my brothers and sisters growing up I think has helped me. I want my kids to be raised the same way.
I wasn't really that interested in playing. I had gone through some hard times not playing in high school, but my coach had it in his mind that basketball was the way I would get an education.
The All-Star Game was one of my top highlights as a player. In my eye, it gave me a good idea of where I ranked among my peers. That was always my benchmark to say that I am still in the upper echelon of players.
Fatherhood is great.
I guess guys who play on national TV get a lot of publicity.
Basketball is a lifelong game. You continue to learn from the game day in and day out, and all along the way, you get better.
I wasn't given a scholarship out of high school, and that allowed me to learn what hard work was early on.
Most of basketball is in the mind. But it helps to have big hands.
No guy on the basketball court is a threat to score with LeBron James out there. Not only will LeBron dominate from the offensive end as well, but he's also doing it on the defensive end, which really makes him the complete package.
I will always be a part of the game.
When I got the call to guard Magic, I knew that I could cause him a lot of problems.
At the point when I lost my father, it really made me want to be like a father and be like my father. It was a real turning point for me because it helped me mature - it made me think about being responsible because I wasn't the only one I had to think about.
No matter how well you do in the regular season, it has to be capped off with a championship to really mark your legacy in the game.
I feel like I'm a guy who gets other guys shots.
When I look at my career, I was really about defending.
I knew I was a player that could break guys down and create for my teammates, and that is how I looked at it.
I want to be a role-model player, someone respected and looked up to.
I spend a lot of time at home with my kids.
I always dreamed of playing the NBA, but along the way, the road got a little cloudy.
When I got to Central Arkansas, I was a small, slim guy with little chance of playing in the NBA. Then, I went through a two-year growth spurt, and suddenly, I was 6-foot-7.
If I had an opportunity to hand-pick a team that I wanted to play in the NBA Finals, it would probably be the Lakers.
There's nothing like the camaraderie of being around the other players.
I've come a long way from my first commercials.
There are a lot of people from my Central Arkansas days that I owe a lot of thanks to for how they helped me over the years.
I'm able to run and jump and do all the things I can do. I'm blessed.
I was a guy that had a lot of tools and could do a lot of other things, but my main thing was controlling the defensive end of the court.
I always help take care of my family.
I was LeBron James before LeBron James.
Everyone likes to strike while the iron is hot. That's a philosophy I've always liked.
When you endure an 82-game season, you have a great opportunity to build a lot of confidence and cohesiveness with your teammates and coaches.
It's always been a passion of mine to come out and share some of my knowledge about basketball and the experiences I've had with the younger generation.
Coaching jobs are far and few between; you try and get into the right situation and take advantage of it from there.
Defense is something I take a lot of pride in.
Lacking a dominant big man is a tall order.
As a young player, I always thought I was doing everything I could. But the longer you play, the more you learn, and the better you're prepared for what this game throws at you.
