I've spent a lot of time in the United States and Canada and I am grateful for the opportunities that I've been given by people, and the game of basketball, and the NBA.

Be very proud of your name and where you come from. It's so important. Say it loud and clear for everybody to hear.

Every man, they say, 'oh my wife is my boss.' So why can't they be bosses at work?

Honestly... I've never felt pressure working in basketball. There's no pressure at all. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

We play sports to win.

Winning influences, it helps, it gets the kids. Winning makes an impact.

Being a good teammate means looking out for our neighbours, friends and the people we work with.

We have something very special happening in Toronto and Drake is a big part of that.

We have to make Toronto - we have to - we have to make Toronto the best atmosphere in the NBA.

Giving back to our communities is huge.

He is so true to himself, and so good to other people. Even during tough conversations, I have never worried about him. Because I know Dwane Casey is going to come back tomorrow to try to be better, and I feel the same way. I try to be better, and so I try to be like him that way.

We all have weaknesses.

When I started Giants of Africa, I envisioned providing African youth access to the game and empowering them to achieve their greatest potential.

If you have a great culture and you're progressing the right way to win I think players will always want to come.

I'm nervous about everything I do with Africa. You almost want it to go good all the time, and you don't want to disappoint.

Every GM will tell you it's an instinct. It's an instinct to be patient, to react, or act, or not to do anything at all. It just comes. What I can say is you must have a plan and a goal and a way to do things. At the end of the day, it's an instinct. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's bad.

It's a great thing that the NBA has done in Africa to develop the game.

This is a team sport, a team game.

I've studied the game in every different aspect that I can.

Every day is different. There's always, as we call it in the NBA, a 'drama,' a team's drama, there's always something.

I value my staff and I believe in hiring people who are smarter than myself.

Two of the most difficult parts of our business is trades and when a player leaves.

I have a mandate to win and that's what I want to do.

When you get a chance to get a top five player, which doesn't come very often, you have to jump on it.

I love the work that I do.

My dad always taught me that you have to be good to the next person all the time because one person is going to help another person.

You don't have to be a leader of a big organization. You can be a leader of your brother, of a young kid, of your community. That way you affect life, someway, somehow.

I understand my job and what the job is and what has to be done basketball wise. I do that 24/7 and it's a huge priority for me, but I cannot be in this job and not try to affect the youth of Africa, or the youth around the world, even. Help other people in some kind of way.

It doesn't all have to be about giving money. Sometimes it's a smile that changes the life of one little kid.

I have to give back. For me, it would be a failure if I could not give back.

The more you give, the more you grow.

Whether it's drafting or player development, the ultimate is putting a team together.

One of Giants of Africa's fundamental mottos is - Dream Big. We believe that basketball can be used as a tool to educate and develop youth around the world to accomplish their dreams.

Players want to go where the team wins and where the team has a great culture, ownership and all of that. It doesn't matter where you are. It really doesn't matter, you have to perform and you have to win.

You want to win in the NBA you want to build a culture and teams will always do that and try to win. It's cutthroat. All 30 teams want to be that way whether they are rebuilding, have young players, have a style of play. It doesn't matter, everybody wants to win.

Boy or girl, the youth of the world deserve opportunity and we as leaders have to be the ones that at least create a path for them.

I grew up in northern Nigeria.

I was honestly more talented in soccer than in basketball. I don't think I'd have gone anywhere in soccer. But I think I was more talented in soccer.

I couldn't shoot. When I went to play in Europe, I learned to shoot better. I could jump, so people would just back off of me.

I was one of those athletic African players.

There were great European players that were great basketball players that did not make it in the NBA... This is the best league in the world.

Our job is to find out what's the next thing that is going to be advantageous to us and contribute to winning.

We can say potential all we want, but at the end of the day, sports is about winning.

It doesn't matter where you are - it could be Timbuktu - if you win, people will watch, they'll follow and they'll support.

It's my responsibility to put a team on the floor that will win, and that attracts players.

Look at the teams that have been successful in the NBA. Yes, you have big, glamorous cities like L.A. But Miami has won, and so has San Antonio. Oklahoma City is a very successful team. They're not the biggest markets.

I love it here. I really do. Toronto is home for me.

To build a winning culture, you are going to have to prove yourself.

I'm proud of Toronto. I'm proud of Canada. I'm proud of the NBA. I'm very proud of it.

I don't really watch any TV. I'll glance at the TV sometimes if my wife's watching 'Empire' or 'Scandal.' I'll sit with her for an episode. But I don't have a TV show that I watch.