I think there are much bigger differences between players in this league than between coaches. There is a big gap between LeBron James and the small forward for whoever. Far bigger than between two coaches.

It is a player's league until you lose.

I frankly think the NBA All-Star game has run its course, the whole dunk contest... The game - if those guys actually played hard in that game, it'd be the best watch ever.

It's staggering how many players, even with the sums of money they make, don't do a great job of saving it.

Detroit Pistons basketball slogan: When the going gets tough, we fire the coach.

All you try to do in any system you incorporate is put players in their areas of strength and try to hide and minimize their weaknesses.

I think anybody confusing a system with a reason for success is making a huge mistake. Systems don't win games. Players do.

When you have the best player, you can do a lot of things. The best player can usually back it up, too.

Sometimes you try to change, and you go backwards.

For professional athletes, I always think about it in these terms: the most difficult diva of women's soccer would be the easiest NBA player ever.

I never lost the desire to coach.

The NBA is a crazy place.

Often, organizations don't know how good they have it with a player or coach.

When Jordan was averaging over 30 and shooting over 50 percent, he was doing it with less shooting on the floor for himself. He had less spacing to work with. He was going against defenses that were allowed a lot more liberties as far as physical contact, how hard they fouled, and all those things.

It's hard to change a roster around. You've got to hit your draft picks right, you've gotta hit free agency right, and a team's got to fit together.

You would never find a coach in any sport more giving of his time than Coach Parcells to other New York coaches.

Chicken parm is hard to beat.

I always said 'strength in stars.'

There's always been conflict, inherent conflict between players and coaches.

Most elite big men are high maintenance.

I read somewhere that failure is an event, not a person, but I never feel that way. It's who I am.

Losing has an unbelievably negative impact on me.

I want to control everything that goes into winning or losing.

At first, you can play into the naivete that people think you have because you don't dress well. They almost give you the benefit of the doubt. But when success comes, that's no longer a good angle, so now you're 'a political animal.'