I played hockey in North Dakota growing up and watch a lot of that.

My philosophy is that you can't motivate players with speeches, you have motivated players that you draft. That's where they come in and those are the guys that are competitive. You cannot teach competitiveness.

No one plays this or any game perfectly. It's the guy who recovers from his mistakes who wins.

In basketball - as in life - true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way. Of course, it's no accident that things are more likely to go your way when you stop worrying about whether you're going to win or lose and focus your full attention on what's happening right this moment.

Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. It's about mastering the art of letting go.

You have to be unique.

I will have Derek Fisher wear all 5 of his rings the first time he comes in to talk to Carmelo.