Michael Jordan
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.Collection: Wisdom
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.Collection: Relationship
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.'Collection: Fathers
I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.Collection: Success
I'm patient.Collection: Patience
I wasn't really a work-conscious type of person. I was a player. I loved to play sports.Collection: Sports
I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.Collection: Work
When I was playing before I retired, I never really understood the appreciation and the respect that people gave me. People had treated me like a god or something, and that was very embarrassing.Collection: Respect
Gambling is legal and betting is legal, for what I bet.Collection: Legal
If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.Collection: Inspirational
I hope the millions of people I've touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and persevere with a positive attitude.Collection: Attitude
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.Collection: Travel
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.Collection: Work
I won't have any competitive instincts in any sports, other than golf. I can't see being competitive in sports any more.Collection: Sports
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.Collection: Attitude
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.Collection: Life
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.Collection: Life
I can't speak for the future. I have no crystal ball.Collection: Future
It's a 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 and provide entertainment for everyone who wanted to watch basketball. Obviously, people may not agree with that; again, I can't live with what everyone's impression of what I should or what I shouldn't do.Collection: Best
In any investment, you expect to have fun and make money.Collection: Money
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.Collection: Failure
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.Collection: Sports
Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.Collection: Positive
The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.Collection: Peace
Limits, like fear, is often an illusion.Collection: Fear
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.Collection: Intelligence
Ultimately, if you can say that I'm a bad owner and we're winning championships, I can live with that. But if we're not making the playoffs and we're spending and losing money, then I have to look in the mirror and say maybe I'm not taking the necessary steps to doing what it takes to run an organization.Collection: Money
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.Collection: Sports
When I 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.
Purchasing the Bobcats is the culmination of my post-playing career goal of becoming the majority owner of an NBA franchise.
I'd like to be settled into somewhat of a normal life. Somewhat. I know it's never going to be completely normal.
My challenge when I came back was to face the young talent, dissect their games, and show them maybe that they needed to learn more about the game than just the money aspect.
I know the signs of scaredness.
I believe greatness is an evolutionary process that changes and evolves era to era.
I've had tendinitis since college.
How many times have your parents told you not to do things, and the next thing you know, you go do it? And you realized you shouldn't have done it.
I want to play for years.
It is nerve-wracking watching my kids' games.
It's absolutely wrong that I don't want guys to challenge me. And the people who say that aren't in the room.
Do I need my number retired throughout the course of the league to acknowledge what I've done? No.
Being Michael Jordan means acting the same as I always have.
It's hard to say if the NBA is hurt by the influx of younger players, but it's definitely impacted the league.
I like control.
I will not quit this game because of what the media has done to me.
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
There is no 'i' in team but there is in win.
To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don't isolate.
We all fly. Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly longer than others.
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.
The game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can't let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.