Quotes on Basketball

So, yeah, I'm going to try to win the national championship next year. But I'm not going to kill myself doing it. I'm not going to kill my players either. You really start to realize there's a lot more to what we're trying to do then winning games

I could run 200 yards at a stretch, I could duck between players, I felt free to make plays that suited me best. It wasn't like football then and basketball today, where coaches tell you what foot to put down.

I guarantee you, if you could give me 10 points in all those seventh games against the Boston Celtics, instead of Bill Russell having 11 rings, I could've at least had nine or eight.

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.

Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.

Every night on the court I give my all, and if I'm not giving 100 percent, I criticize myself.

But try if you can to support, whether it's AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper, and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease.

You've got to learn the footwork, the positioning, how to box out, how to pass, how to shoot your free throws. All these things are necessary, not to be the No. 1 player in the world, but maybe you can play against him.

When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro.

I remember one time being told I could not play in a basketball game at the College of William and Mary because I was black, even though I was playing with a United States Army team.

I played when I played, and played, I think, against the greatest players in the greatest time in the history of basketball.

Don't ever give up on ability. Don't give up on a player who has it.

So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.

Sacrifice. Work. Self-discipline. I teach these things, and my boys don't forget them when they leave.

Praise your kids. Inspire and motivate your players with praise. Ten years from now it won't matter what your record was. Will your kids love you or hate you?

First of all, what happens is, when you're good at something, you spend a lot of time with it. People identify you with that sport, so it becomes part of your identity.

Sometimes you learn more from losing than winning. Losing forces you to reexamine.

Once you become a professional athlete or once you do anything well, then you're automatically a role model ... I have no problem being a role model. I love it. I have kids looking up to me and hopefully I inspire these kids to do good things.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams players hold players accountable

If you want to be in the game you better shoot 75% from the line.