Julius Erving

I always try to keep a pretty conservative demeanor on the court.

I liked the game, I enjoyed the game, and the game fed me enough, and gave me enough rewards to reinforce that this is something that I should spend time doing, and that I could possibly make a priority in my life, versus other sports.

If you do things with a certain type of result and cause a certain type of reaction or effect, then you increase your market value. It's very much a competition for the entertainment dollar, and that's never been more clearly evident than in today's NBA game.

The ones who become stars or superstars are the ones who have a head on their shoulders and know how to use it.

If you've experienced having control, you don't want to be moved to a subordinate position, if you have your druthers.

Every team that I've played on, I've either been the captain or co-captain.

I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.

When handling the ball, I always would look for daylight, wherever there was daylight.

When I went to Philadelphia I was 26 years old and really sitting on top of the world. Family life, a professional career, plenty of friends and associates, and a good reputation, a wish list that could be the envy of many.

And from the first time I picked up a basketball at age eight - I had a lot of difficulty when I first picked up a basketball, because I was a scrub - there were things that I liked about it.

But you know, if you live an affluent lifestyle, there are all types of trappings that are there that you have to be cognizant of, and you've got to try and communicate freely and gain understanding about and then keep moving on, because you know, sometimes lifestyles are chosen for us as opposed to us choosing them.

I had to spend countless hours, above and beyond the basic time, to try and perfect the fundamentals.

I pulled the plug on it at a time that I thought was right for me to exit.

Right up until the time I retired at age 37, I felt like there were still things that I could do better.

As a kid, I played a lot of one-on-none.

If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end.

There's the typical books, Moby Dick and, I guess in my adult life I began to read biographies more than fiction. I started to want to relate to other people's lives, things that had really happened.

Because of the makeup of the NBA, it cannot afford for the public to turn on them.

That was just my own personal program: I didn't want to get too high over the good moments because I didn't want to be saddened and depressed when things didn't go as I had planned.

If you get depressed about being the second-best team in the world, then you've got a problem.

They are taking steps, but they are baby steps.

I keep both eyes on my man. The basket hasn't moved on me yet.

With the crowds on your side, it's easier to play up to your potential.

Teachers are sort of faced with a thankless task, because no matter how good they are, unless they find a way to personally rationalize the rewards of their effort, nobody else is really going to do it for them en masse.

Goals determine what you're going to be.

You know, just in terms of having to have a life on the road, you know, having the celebrity aspect be a burden for my family, friends and extended family.

But you know, we have a very normal family. We've had our ups and downs. You know, we've had our issues, but we've had great cause for celebration.

I came from a broken home, so my mom was a major influence in my life.

I think I started learning lessons about being a good person long before I ever knew what basketball was. And that starts in the home, it starts with the parental influence.

Goals determine what your going to be.

Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don't feel like doing them.

To be great we need to win games we aren't supposed to win.

And I continued to grow until I was 25 years old.

The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical.

My role models in the business were the older guys on my team when I first got there: Gray Scott, Adrian Smith, Roland Taylor. These were the guys who took me under their wing, and really schooled me in terms of what the business was about.

One of the commitments that I personally have now is to a diverse approach to buying businesses, and the operation of those businesses.

I grabbed 19 rebounds in my first professional game, and somehow found a way to score 20 points. I felt real good about it. I felt that this was the beginning of something good.

One of the most predictable things in life is there will be change. You are better off if you can have a say in the change. But you are ignorant or naive if you don't think there will be change, whether you want it to or not.

When the crowd appreciates you, it encourages you to be a little more daring, I think.

In a lot of areas of my life, particularly in my teenage years, I began to think about the world, and to think about the universe as being a part of my conscious everyday life.

If you're not doing what is best for your body, you are the one who lose.

One of the things in the back of my mind is that, after my sports experience, I never want to be, totally consumed by any one endeavor, other than my family life.

Goals determine what youre going to be.

You can feel the vibes, feel the people pulling for you.

If you dont do whats best for your body youre the one who comes up on the short end.

Being a typical Pisces, I might have experienced mood shifts, but I don't remember any depression, or needing to do anything, or to have someone bring me out of being depressed.

In 1981, at age 31, I was voted the best player in basketball, and the most valuable player in the league.