Sports create a bond between comtemporaries that lasts a lifetime. It also gives your life structure, discipline and a genuine, sincere, pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavor provide.

We lived in Yorkville, which is located on the East End of Manhattan. It's further east than Hell's Kitchen, and back then it was the kind of place where the roaches and cockroaches were big enough to carry away small children.

I had endured six years of frustration so I think winning it all meant more to me than most of the others on the team.

Back then every small town had a gym, and if itseated more than 2,000 then we'd be interested in playing in it.

We played every night. Sometimes we'd stay overnight after a game, but we'd usually drive on to our next destination.

But in fairness also to the idea of continuing success, you also have to exploit opportunities.

My family was poor, my father drove a cab for a living, but we felt normal because everybody else was in the same boat.