Julius Erving

I live my life trying to never appear to be a small man.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

They are taking steps, but they are baby steps.

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

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

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.

You know, we always tried to rationalize by saying you take the good, you take the upside, you got to deal with the downside, you've to take the downside.

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.

When I get a chance to power jump off both legs, I can lean, twist, change directions and decide whether to dunk the ball or pass it to an open man. In other words, I may be committed to the air, but I still have some control over it.

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

When I played, the owners had the power. The prisoners are running the prison now, not the warden. The warden is strong and he has say so but, the balance of power is definitely with the players.

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.

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