I played on an all-black high school team and we didn't want people saying that we were clowns.

Actually, Magic and the Lakers beat Philadelphia for Magic's first NBA Championship.

When I started playing, I wasn't fast, I was gangly, my jumpshot was terrible.

I'd like to think that the nature of the two teams - Boston being a championship team over the years and the Lakers, same thing - was a lot bigger than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.

Look, I think you should promote the game, but I think you should make it what it ought to be. Not some kind of a side-show.

It's a sad commentary when I have to say that sometimes in our country we are real sensitive to race.

I played on an all-black high school team and we didn't want people saying that we were clowns.