Basketball is sharing.
Yes, victory is sweet, but it doesn’t necessarily make life any easier the next season or even the next day.
What moves me is watching young men bond together and tap into the magic that arises when they focus with their whole heart and soul on something greater than themselves. Once you’ve experienced that, it’s something you never forget.
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.
Make your work your play and your play your work.
I gave it my body and mind, but I have kept my soul.
Basketball is a sport that involves the subtle interweaving of players at full speed to the point where they are thinking and moving as one.
The ideal way to win a championship is step by step.
If we can accept whatever hand we’ve been dealt – no matter how unwelcome – the way to proceed eventually becomes clear.
You’re only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act.
I think the most rewarding part of the job, and I think most coaches would say it, is practice. If you have it, a very good practice in which you have 12 guys participate, and they can really get something out of it, lose themselves in practice.
Pau is one of the best big men in the game. I mean, Pau Gasol is going to be in the Hall of Fame.
I played hockey in North Dakota growing up and watch a lot of that.
I’m a sports-watcher. I played football and baseball, coached baseball. So I watch those things.
I will have Derek Fisher wear all 5 of his rings the first time he comes in to talk to Carmelo.
The bigger your head, the easier to fill your shoes.
I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you’re doing.
Tomorrow gives a beck’ning hand – I turn my face away; I’ll not invite her to my home – I only love Today.
Basketball, unlike football with its prescribed routes, is an improvisational game, similar to jazz. If someone drops a note, someone else must step into the vacuum and drive the beat that sustains the team.
My first act after being named head coach of the Bulls was to formulate a vision for the team. I had to take into account not only what I wanted to achieve, but how I was going to get there.