I think the players win the championship, and the organization has something to do with it, don’t get me wrong. But don’t try to put the organization above the players.

Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen.

As athletes, we’re used to reacting quickly. Here, it’s ‘come, stop, come, stop.’ There’s a lot of downtime. That’s the toughest part of the day.

People ask me if I could fly, I said, ‘yeah…. for a little while.

But how many people lighted the path for me? That’s the evolution of basketball. There’s no way I could have played the way I played if I didn’t watch David Thompson and guys prior to me. There’s no way Kobe could have played the way he’s played without watching me play. So, you know, that’s the evolution of basketball. You cannot change that.

When I was young, I had to learn the fundamentals of basketball. You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to know the fundamentals.

Winning has a price. And leadership has a price. So I pulled people along when they didn’t want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn’t want to be challenged. And I earned that right because [other] teammates came after me. They didn’t endure all the things that I endured.

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

I know the signs of scaredness.

Some people want it to happen, some people wish it would happen, others make it happen.

Even when I’m old and gray, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.

My challenge when I came back was to face the young talent, to dissect their games, and show them maybe that they needed to learn more about the game than just the money aspect

Do I need my number retired throughout the course of the league to acknowledge what I’ve done? No.

For a competitive junkie like me, golf is a great solution because it smacks you in the face every time you think you’ve accomplished something. That to me has taken over a lot of the energy and competitiveness for basketball

I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.

In college I never realized the opportunities available to a pro athlete. I’ve been given the chance to meet all kinds of people, to travel and expand my financial capabilities, to get ideas and learn about life, to create a world apart from basketball.

In reality, I never want to grow up.

My heroes are and were my parents. I can’t see having anyone else as my heroes.

When I will lose the sense of motivation and the sense to prove something as a basketball player, it’s time for me to move away from the game.

I hope the millions of people I’ve touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and perseverance with a positive attitude.

Being Michael Jordan means acting the same as I always have.

Live the moment for the moment.

If I had been playing for money I would have complained a long time ago that I was underpaid.

What is love? Love is playing every game as if it’s your last!

My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn’t stand the sideline.

I want to wake up every day and do whatever comes in my mind, and not feel pressure or obligations to do anything else in my life.

Sometimes you need to get hit in the head to realize that you’re in a fight.

I’ve never lost a game I just ran out of time.

Best evaluation I can make of a player is to look in his eyes and see how scared they are.

Don’t let them drag you down by rumors just go with what you believe in.

I mean we all fly. Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly longer than others.

It is easy to choose a path of anonymity and lead an empty life. But to strive hard and lead an impactful life, one needs a burning desire to realize dreams.

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 makes me work even harder.

I own the guy guarding me.

I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to get out there and go for it

Champions do not become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, and months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely a demonstration of their championship character.

If it turns out that my best wasn’t good enough, at least I won’t look back and say I was afraid to try.

If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.

It’s heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody. My job was to go out there and play the game of basketball as best I can. People may not agree with that. I can’t live with what everyone’s impression of what I should or what I shouldn’t do.

You can practice shooting 8 hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way.

Never say never. Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.

When I step onto the court, I don’t have to think about anything. If I have a problem off the court, I find that after I play, my mind is clearer and I can come up with a better solution. It’s like therapy. It relaxes me and allows me to solve problems.

Every time I feel tired while I am exercising and training, I close my eyes to see that picture, to see that list with my name. This usually motivates me to work again.

I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else’s talent. I believe greatness is an evolutionary process that changes and evolves era to era.

Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.

The minute you get away from fundamentals–whether its proper technique, work ethic, or mental preparation–the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing.

One day, you might look up and see me playing the game at 50. Don’t laugh. Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.

You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.

In any investment, you expect to have fun and make money.

I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me. Failure always made me try harder next time.

The game of basketball has been everything to me. My place of refuge, place I’ve always gone where I needed comfort and peace. It’s been the site of intense pain and the most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction. It’s a relationship that has evolved over time, given me the greatest respect and love for the game.

There is no such thing as a perfect basketball player, and I don’t believe there is only one greatest player either.

ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF LIFE. NEVER SECOND-GUESS LIFE.

My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do, And he said , You never know what you can accomplish until you try.

If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

People didn’t believe me when I told them I practiced harder than I played, but, it was true. That’s where my comfort zone was created by the time . The game came, all I had to do was react to what my body was already accustomed to doing.

The basketball court for me, during a game, is the most peaceful place I can imagine. On the basketball court, I worry about nothing. When I’m out there, no one can bother me.

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.

If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.

I’ve never been afraid to fail.

There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.

I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences, you always think of a negative result.

If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.

I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.

Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night.

There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is in win.

Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

The key to success is failure.

Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.

I never thought a role model should be negative.

If you do the work, you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.

Heart is what separates the good from the great.

I’m not a Twitterer; I’m not a twerker, I’m not a Facebooker. I am old school.

I can’t speak for the future. I have no crystal ball.

I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.

I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.

Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you. That’s truly about the game, and in some ways that’s about life too.

Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.

I’ve never lost a game, I just ran out of time.

EVERYBODY HAS TALENT, BUT ABILITY TAKES HARD WORK.

Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate.

I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.

Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly longer than others.

Even when I’m old and grey, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.

The best come from the worst.

Learning’s a gift, even when pain is your teacher.

Talent Wins Games, But Teamwork And Intelligence Win Championship.

I’ve never been afraid to fail.

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.

I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.

I want to be the bridge to the next generation.

If you quit once, it becomes a habit. Never quit