Reflecting on his 12th season playing pro ball:
“I began it with big determination fighting for a spot in Detroit, with no results. I went to the gym EACH and EVERY day to prepare myself to be the most ready as possible when the holy occasion would have come.”
Women’s head coach at Dayton:
“Part of our university philosophy is to lead and serve. We’ve always preached family here — being bigger than an individual. I try to recruit good kids who can play, but I like being around people who I can trust. They all work at it. They are good students. We have doctors and engineers and teachers doing great things. We have a number of professional basketball players out there.”
On dribble penetration:
“You can’t allow it over and over again. Dribble penetration kills everything; it really does. It creates offensive rebounds. It creates points in the paint. It creates 3s. It creates foul trouble. If you’re allowing it a lot, you’re going to lose.”
From his college coach Steve Fisher:
“If you’re around him like we were for two years, you saw the work ethic that he had and the competitiveness to where you knew that he was going to continue to get better.”
“I’ve never had a guy work the way he does when nobody is watching. He just wants to get in the gym, doesn’t want anybody to know. But he wants to be in that gym 24-7. And he’s in there to work on his game. He doesn’t just put in time. He’s working.”
“He truly is someone that has a fierce desire to get better. He’s going to be one who will not come in and be satisfied to sign a contract, then get another contract, be messing with the money. He’s going to want to be very good.”
“My main focus in these playoffs is keying in on defense. I’ve got to stop Joe (Johnson). I can’t let him get going. The rest will take care of itself.”
“My whole motto, my whole mindset throughout my life is someone can have it worse than you.”
From Lionel Hollins:
“He was an energy guy, flying all over the court. But he was young and immature. A lot of guys come into the league with a higher opinion of themselves and expecting a bigger role. It takes time.”
From teammate Kyle Korver:
“There are a few guys in the NBA where you’re like, `Man, that guy’s got so much in the tank. If he could just be untapped’. He’s always been a guy who just wants to go out there and hoop, ball, play hard, get offensive rebounds, a one-man, full-court press. That’s been his mantra his whole life. But he came here and learned fundamentals, too.”
“It’s like a company. You have your sanitation workers. You’ve got your janitors. You’ve got your CEOs. You’ve got your secretaries. I don’t mind being the clean-up guy, punching the clock and doing all the little things. I’ll be a janitor forever. There’s nothing wrong with that. Everyone has their place in the factory. I don’t mind doing the little things. If that’s what it takes to be great, so be it.”
“The most important position in the game today is the point guard position, that’s the coach on the floor. That’s the guy that has to get everyone rallying in the right position. So if your point guard is not demanding and is not accountable and is holding everyone else accountable, your team is going to struggle.”
”We have an opportunity to compete and when you have an opportunity to compete, you compete as well as you can.”
Following an Indiana Pacers win:
”Just all-out heart, and determination, and will, and perseverance, and not quitting. We got down so many times and had so many opportunities to give in. They just persevered through it.”
“Today, battling the outside voices that infect players is every coach’s biggest challenge.”
PLAY THE RIGHT WAY 