I don’t believe in looking past anybody – I wouldn’t look past the Little Sisters of the Poor after they stayed up all night.

I’m not saying that they were Einsteins; they were marginal students. But every ballplayer whoever touched me has moved up his station in life. And the players moved up my station.

It’s a profession in which, the longer you stay, the closer you are to being fired.

Can’t win without talent, you know.

Butch, you come from DeWitt Clinton. There are five thousand brothers in that school. You’re the best there. You’ve been all-city two years in a row. How bad can you be? You come with me and we’ll make nice music.

When I’m losing, they call me nuts. When I’m winning, they call me eccentric.

I don’t discuss basketball. I dictate basketball. I’m not interested in philosophy classes.

If winning weren’t important nobody would keep score.

God didn’t miss any of us.

It’s so ridiculous to see a golfer with a one foot putt and everybody is saying “Shhh” and not moving a muscle. Then we allow nineteen year-old kids to face a game-deciding free throw with seventeen thousand people yelling.