Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they are executed.

I was especially impressed with Pauley Pavilion [at UCLA campus ]. The floors hadn't been laid down yet, when they gave me the tour, each new room got my heart thumping. They even had a surgical operating room in case an athlete was severely injured.

In a typical history book, black Americans are mentioned in the context of slavery or civil rights. There's so much more to the story.

The Lakers fans have been great, even folks in the supermarket are welcoming me back.

Music rhythms are mathematical patterns. When you hear a song and your body starts moving with it, your body is doing math. The kids in their parents' garage practicing to be a band may not realize it, but they're also practicing math.

I think I did very well against everyone who tried to defend me.

When I was at UCLA, the Harlem Globetrotters offered me a million dollars to come play for them. I turned it down because my education was just as important as playing ball.