I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.

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.

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.

“I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I want to wake up every day and do whatever comes in my mind, and not feel pressure or obligations to do anything else in my life.”

“I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.”

“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.”

“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.”

“It’s absolutely wrong that I don’t want guys to challenge me. And the people who say that aren’t in the room.”

“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.”

“You’re a loser. You’ve always been a loser.”

“You’re going to play from the little girls’ tees?”

“They don’t need a ticket to watch you sitting on the bench. They can go to your house for that.”

“Don’t let them drag you down by rumors just go with what you believe in.”

“Gambling is legal and betting is legal, for what I bet.”

“I can’t speak for the future. I have no crystal ball.”

“Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.”

“What is love? Love is playing every game as if it’s your last!”

“The basketball court for me, during a game, is the most peaceful place I can imagine. On the basketball court, I worry about nothing. When I’m out there, no one can bother me.”

“If I had been playing for money I would have complained a long time ago that I was underpaid.”

“I won’t have any competitive instincts in any sports, other than golf. I can’t see being competitive in sports any more.”

“I never thought a role model should be negative.”

“The key to success is failure.”

“I want to be the bridge to the next generation.”

“I own the guy guarding me.”

“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 know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me. Failure always made me try harder the next time.”

“I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.”

“You can practice shooting 8 hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.”

“My challenge when I came back was to face the young talent, to dissect their games, and show them maybe that they needed to learn more about the game than just the money aspect.”

“Failure is acceptable. but not trying is a whole different ball park.”

“Best evaluation I can make of a player is to look in his eyes and see how scared they are.”

“My mother is my root, my foundation. She planted the seed that I base my life on, and that is the belief that the ability to achieve starts in your mind.”

“The best come from the worst.”

“Champions do not become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, and months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely a demonstration of their championship character.”

“I mean we all fly. Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly longer than others.”

“When I will 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.”

“Learning’s a gift, even when pain is your teacher.”

“People ask me if I could fly, I said, “yeah…. for a little while.”

“The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.”

“Do I need my number retired throughout the course of the league to acknowledge what I’ve done? No.”

“If you quit once it becomes a habit. Never quit!”

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” -M

“I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.”

“My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn’t stand the sideline.”

“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.”

“I hope the millions of people I’ve touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and perseverance with a positive attitude.”