Every team deals with obstacles throughout the course of the season, and it's as a unit that they need to be worked through. Injuries are part of the game, just like facing tough teams on the road or having one of your best players get into foul trouble.
— Scottie Pippen
The key about playing internationally is the confidence that you gain. Not only do you train with some of the best players in the NBA, but you compete against some of the best players in the world.
I always help take care of my family.
When I was growing up, I never thought I would play in the NBA.
I will always be a part of the game.
I loved playing against the Pacers and Reggie Miller. Reggie was a great competitor, and I enjoyed playing against competitors.
Being in the Hall of Fame is where any player wants to be at the end of his career. It's somewhat of a last step for a player in terms of their career, and it's a place where you'll always be remembered for what you accomplished.
When you look at Jerry Sloan teams, they're all very disciplined. They execute well. They play within themselves.
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.'
What is most remarkable to me about Durant's game is what he does given his size. It's so unique to have a player who is 6-foot-9 with the ability to shoot and handle the ball so well. It allows him to stretch the opposing team's defense because he can do those things at such a high level. He's a load to deal with and an extremely tough matchup.
Chemistry is a very important element for any team that wants to be serious about winning.
When I look back at my first few seasons in the NBA, we didn't dominate as a team. There were a lot of nights where we took a beating and got whacked across the head. But we got better along the way, and we started to taste the success. With that came the pressure and expectations to be successful.
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.
While I dealt with my share of injuries throughout my career, I was fortunate to have been healthy for the majority of our run in the 1990s. The same can be said about Michael Jordan.
Coach Dyer was a great mentor for me and a great teacher.
When I grew up, I was just another kid who wasn't going to college.
For me, getting your number retired is the greatest accomplishment. There is no accolade with more significance that you can receive from an organization or school. Whether it was my four years at Central Arkansas or all my seasons with the Bulls in Chicago, it's a sign of respect for what I have done.
To have a beautiful house on the outside is one thing... Once you get inside, that's what really makes a home.
I feel like I'm a guy who gets other guys shots.
The things that have happened for me, to me, have helped me grow up. Especially the passing of my father. That was something that took me to another level of growing and maturing. That's whan I started to be more of a man.
I want to do the best I can in the NBA. After three or four years, I want people to know who Scottie Pippen is.
I wasn't given a scholarship out of high school, and that allowed me to learn what hard work was early on.
I prefer starting. Anyone in this league does.
To be named as one of the finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2010 on Friday was a special moment for me. As a player, it's something that you dream about. It's an honor that you have to earn based on your career and the respect from your peers around you.
When you speak of the Pat Rileys, the Phil Jacksons, you have to speak of Don Nelson and the success that he has had in the game.
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.
Lacking a dominant big man is a tall order.
Everyone likes to strike while the iron is hot. That's a philosophy I've always liked.
If you can prove that you're in that elite class on a consistent basis, it speaks volumes about a player's longevity. It also says that as a player, you were steady, stable, and great and that you deserve to be recognized.
As a player, NBA All-Star Weekend contains a lot of joy and a lot of excitement. Even with all the hype built into the game, it's really a special honor to be selected among many great players.
It takes locking in on the task at hand and honing in on what you need to do in order to be successful in the NBA postseason.
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 remember the night in December 2005 when the Bulls retired my number and will never, ever forget it.
It may sound simple, but both winning and losing can become a mind-set, and I won't accept losing - ever.
As a young player, achieving All-Star status isn't as easy as you might think.
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.
I think when you come from a small college like I did, then you have to use every opportunity available to you.
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.
I'm thankful that I was able to have a long, healthy career for the most part.
There are no guarantees in the league, and the challenges will always be there.
When it's late in a game and things are tough and you need a basket, someone has to step up. That player has to have the ability to create opportunities and draw fouls.
It's not easy to win 60 games in the NBA.
Once you get a taste of success, it's a hard thing to turn down.
Pau Gasol is one of the best big men in the game.
It's not common for your best player to also be your most unselfish player.
I don't believe being a Hall of Famer is based on individual accolades. I think winning has a lot to do with it. But perhaps more than that, you simply have to show that you are the best or among the best at what you do.
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.
The odds were against me when I arrived at Central Arkansas. I was barely 6-foot-2 and didn't have a scholarship. But I always felt I could make it to the NBA; it was as if I had foreseen my future, and I knew I would make it.
College was a very necessary step along the way to my professional career. As I look back, I realize how much of an eye opener it was for me in terms of moving forward and developing as a basketball player.
Defensive awards and accolades aside, to have your jersey retired puts you in a position where you'll be known forever.
