Durability is part of what makes a great athlete.

What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere.

If a guy pays you five dollars, you give him seven dollars worth of work.

You got to have the killer instinct. If you do not have it, forget about basketball and go into social psychology or something. If you sometimes wonder if you've got it, you ain't got it. No pussycats, please.

The most important thing to me is the friends that I've made.

What's more important than who's going to be the first black manager is who's going to be the first black sports editor of the New York Times.

We learn to make a shell for ourselves when we are young and then spend the rest of our lives hoping for someone to reach inside and touch us. Just touch us—anything more than that would be too much for us to bear.