For the love of the game | Michael Jordan quotes

"If I hadn't evolved at my own pace, I wouldn't have been able to paint the tiny details that defined my career. I remember every little step, every little crease. Now when I look back I see one big beautiful picture. Some of these young kids just have that big blob of paint without any detail. Their careers are just a mass of color without any definition because they haven't taken the time to work on the details or they don't appreciate or understand the process."

I remember thinking "When does jumping become flying."

If you bought into their tactics, you would become vindictive because of all the stuff they were doing to you. So they forced us to keep our composure.

The process of seeing success before it happened put me in a positive frame of mind and prepared me to play the game. Once the game started, I never thought about what was supposed to happen. Instincts took over.

If you practice the way you play, there shouldn't be any difference. That's why I practiced so hard. I wanted to be prepared for the game. I practiced hard enough that the games were easier.....I took pride in the way I practiced.

[1993 Championships] The Suns didn't know how to win. They knew how to compete, but they didn't know how to win. There is a difference.

If anyone didn't think I was serious it was because they could not see the blood dripping off my hands or those 6 a.m. batting sessions.

If you do the work, you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.

The money never had anything to do with me playing basketball.

I have used all the great players who came before me to improve my skills. So I can't be the greatest....there will be a player much greater than me.

I listened, I was aware of my success, but I never stopped trying to get better.