You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.

Failure gave me strength. Pain was my motivation

Great players never look in the mirror and think I'm a great basketball player. You ask yourself, Am I the best player I can be?

I will not quit this game because of what the media has done to me.

If I thought of the number of people who were watching me as I got ready to shoot, I?d miss it.

Once I get the ball, you're at my mercy. There is nothing you can say or do about it. I own the ball.

The players today reflect how much the game has evolved and changed both in style and culture. [...] The game now has a wider appeal to a larger market.