If you go 72-11 and don't win (the championship), it doesn't mean anything. Actually it does. It means you've cheated and played an extra regular-season game.

If they want to play football, we can play football.

Because I grew up with a drill sergeant in my life, I respect order and it really gave me the discipline to be a leader and not a follower. It also helped me stay out of trouble.

When I was young I was on punishment a lot and I used to watch a lot of TV, and I asked myself a question: 'How come people like Mike? How come they like Magic? How come they like Bird? How come they don't like the big guys?' So I just throw a little bit of what they were doing. You smile, you act crazy and silly. And I think people like me because I'm different. I've always been a class clown type of guy. It comes natural.

If you're going to hire an assassin, let him go out and kill someone. I can't be Shaq taking six or seven shots.

I don't see us having a problem. It's going to be my job to manage the locker room, anyway, so it will work out.

No matter where they put people, no matter how they try to promote people, there aren't too many people in the game today that are on my level on and off the court.