Just because you're the coach, you don't automatically have the authority. You have to work the people. You have to gain the trust of the people.

The fact that Phil Jackson asked a young kid when he didn't have to and said, 'Hey, do I have permission to coach you?' Those are very powerful lessons that you learn. That's only happened to me a couple times in my entire career, that coaches would actually ask me that question. That just lets me know that he saw me for who I was.

When things are going good, I get nervous.

I grew up as a point guard, and as a point guard you learn how to navigate situations.

I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time and play with Michael Jordan.

I just happen to love problems. Because I see problems as opportunities.

It's really the city of Detroit that I owe the thanks to and all the people along the way, so many people that played a role in my success in giving me the dreams and aspirations to go to college and do the things that I did.

The city of Detroit is always home, and I'm very proud of where I'm from.

To be honest with you, I just want to be true to the game of basketball, and that's what I've always tried to do.

I had played on the police athletic league, but my father had a unique thing, he always said, 'Before you start going to basketball camp and doing all the things, you should learn about yourself first before somebody else starts telling you how to play.'

He made the game look easy. But being Michael Jordan, and all that came with it, that wasn't easy.

He was so confident. But underneath that, behind the scenes, I knew Michael Jordan was a country kid from North Carolina, and it was that simple to him. He was a young man, at heart, who wanted to be one of the guys who loved to play and was willing to do whatever was necessary.

To me, that's the brilliance of Michael Jordan. He was an incredible, amazing individual player who matched his talents to the team, matched the team's talents to him, and he lived in the middle of those extremes. I don't know how you do that.

Tim Duncan was a marvelous player. He played the game from the four, the five position. He was one of the unique players, like a Michael Jordan, who could get to spaces on the floor you that you couldn't do anything about.

Individual success comes as a result of team success.

Most players will tolerate their coach, just like the coach will tolerate that player to do what they got to do, but Steve Kerr is unique. Players want to play for Steve Kerr. Everyone who's played in this league, who's coached in this league, who's been a general manager understands exactly what I'm saying - he's one of them.

I learned this lesson very quickly when I came into the NBA: Almost all the media and accolades go to the No. 1 guy. But if you're building a team, the most important player is the No. 2 guy. Because if the No. 2 guy wants to be the No. 1 guy, you have a major problem.

Winning covers a multitude of sins. If you play bad and you still win, everyone says that's the sign of a good ballclub. But when you play bad and you lose, all of a sudden you have problems and everyone wants to know why.

Who says a center can't make the pass into the post? Michael Jordan, effectively, was a post player and you saw with the championship teams players able to do multiple things.

I can score with the first team or the second team. It really doesn't matter with me because I can create my own shot.

I can create offensive situations for myself and I can create situations for other people.

Like I've said all along, whatever's good for the team is good for me.

Greg Anthony's a good player.

Anytime the coach gives you the ball and some encouragement, you get a sense of freedom.

Sometimes you have to be very bad before you can be very good.

To point the finger at one guy, at each other or at the coaches, won't do any good. It's not supposed to be the coach. It's our team. The coaches can do a phenomenal job preparing you, but it has to come from within.

Moral victories are really more for coaches than players.

I'd rather play bad and win than play good and lose.

When you're going out with the attitude that you want to win, you can't get caught up in the style of play.

Character and class are character and class. Either you have it or you don't.

A true champion walks off with his head high.

Somehow you get past languages. I don't speak Mandarin. I don't speak fluent Italian. I don't speak German. But it's amazing how when you need to get something done, it finds a way.

Being an NBA general manager really is a lot of pressure. There's so much that goes into the job.

I'm what you would term a lifer. Basketball is what I love. It doesn't matter where I'm doing it or in what position I'm doing it. I just love contributing to the game.

I've learned how to function in chaos.

When you come into this league, everyone tries to put you in categories - 'this is what he is' or 'this is what he can do.'

There's a way to win, and a way to play, and when you play like that, the ball's moving and guys are looking for each other, the game is fun.

I just go out there and play and work hard.

As a parent, when I fail to listen to my kids, when our kids stop bringing us our problems, we have all failed as parents and as leaders.

Society is fast - fast food, fast cars, fast everything.

It takes an inner strength to succeed.

If I could do anything, I'd ride horses all day.

Being an only child, I was alone a lot and I had to make up games.

To me, the All-Star Game is just another step. I try to take all my experiences and put them together. To make the NBA was something, and then to be recognized as an All-Star - although I don't consider myself a star. I see myself as just trying to reach my potential as B. J.

With my teammates, I'm more open, funnier than people see me.

Players who create advantages for their team at one end or the other are rare.

With my face, everybody always thinks I'm so young, this little guy.

Guys are more apt to test me than they are to test a Charles Barkley. I think I have to go out and prove myself all the time, and that's fine, because I've had to prove myself my whole life.

Every now and then you have to be a little nasty, a little aggressive on the floor. That's part of being a basketball player.

The more time you play, the more confidence you get. The more confidence you get, you get a little success.