A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you're going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player.
Championship teams are built on being prepared, playing unselfishly and being held accountable.
We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees.
Passing is contagious. There's nothing better than making the pass that gives someone an easy hoop.
My job is not to scream and yell, my job is to cheer you and be positive. If you miss four shots, I'm still going to pass to you.
I don't care what sport you're talking about. What you see with great franchises is structure - a structure that doesn't just take you from year to year, but day to day.
I've learned a lot at home and been able to take what I've learned at home to the court.
Good teams beat you with speed. Great teams beat you with spacing and timing.
I'm a football guy at heart; maybe I should have played football for a living instead, because I play a lot of football videogames, I'm really into them.
Oh, I think, watching Magic, him being one of my... I'm one of his biggest fans, and just trying to emulate what he did, going out on the playground, and also playing with older guys.
I try to anticipate exactly where my teammates are going to be. Sometimes I look good. Sometimes I look bad.
Michael, if you can't pass, you can't play. - Coach Dean Smith to Michael Jordan in his freshman year We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees.
There's always room for improvement. We have a nucleus that's pretty good. You want players that will help.
I'm a high-risk taker on the court in the sense of trying to squeeze things in there.
I have had some bad shooting games but that doesn't stop me from getting the ball to my teammates
Yeah, I play a lot of their games. Going way back to Bulls vs. Lakers to the later Live stuff, I go at it quite a bit. More than anything tough, I play Madden.
I came in the league as not a shooter, not a scorer. My game was to play defense and make my teammates better. The most important stat to me was that left column - winning. Nothing else matters.
Hard work does pay, and you just have to continue to work, and you got two guys, when you're talking about Gary and myself, we have a God-given talent, but we worked at it and we're happy to be where we are today.
Kobe enjoys that situation. Stepping up and making the big basket or being involved in a key play.
...and that's what separates the professionals from the taxpayers
Growing up, Magic Johnson was my idol. He was a good example. He could always pass the ball extremely well and get his teammates involved.
I also play a little bit of Tiger Woods once in awhile. Get on the golf course there, and pretend that I'm beating him.
I've got to play free agency out, and I've got to look at all of my options.
There are many really good teams in our conference this season. Miami, Indiana and Detroit will be our fiercest opponents this year. But we just have to focus on our game and be patient with the realistic hope that we'll be on top after all is said and done.
I think we're going in the right direction.
