Julius Erving Quotes

Because of the makeup of the NBA, it cannot afford for the public to turn on them.

The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical.

Attitude is altitude.

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

I started playing professional basketball in 1971, and I played professionally for five seasons before going to Philadelphia.

I didn't want to become a reserve player, or a bench player, and it was time to move on and take on another challenge.

So much of becoming a good athlete involves bringing other things to the table, other than physical skills. It involves intelligence, it involves many of the things that you learn during the process of being educated. How to analyze, how to assess, how to equate, how to reason.

I think that my God-given physical attributes, big hands, and big feet, the way that I'm built, proportion-wise, just made basketball the most inviting sport for me to play.

The ones who become stars or superstars are the ones who have a head on their shoulders and know how to use it.

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 demand more of myself than anyone else could ever expect.

I wanted to undertake the challenge of daring to be great.

And from the first time I picked up a basketball at age eight - I had a lot of difficulty when I first picked up a basketball, because I was a scrub - there were things that I liked about it.

I always try to keep a pretty conservative demeanor on the court.

One of the things in the back of my mind is that, after my sports experience, I never want to be, totally consumed by any one endeavor, other than my family life.

To be an innovator, you can't be worried about making mistakes.

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

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.

Goals determine what your going to be

And I continued to grow until I was 25 years old.

They are taking steps, but they are baby steps.

I've always tried to tell myself that the work itself is the thing, that win, lose, or draw, the work is really what counts.

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've experienced having control, you don't want to be moved to a subordinate position, if you have your druthers.

I demand more from myself than anybody could ever expect.

If you're not doing what is best for your body, you are the one who lose.

Goals determine what you are going to be

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.

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

I am very proud to be featured, especially when you consider the outstanding champions who have had this honor. It is great company to be in.

But you know, if you live an affluent lifestyle, there are all types of trappings that are there that you have to be cognizant of, and you've got to try and communicate freely and gain understanding about and then keep moving on, because you know, sometimes lifestyles are chosen for us as opposed to us choosing them.

My mom is one of 14 children. She's a great lady. She's a Taurus. Has been a profound influence in my life, still is to this day. Born in meager surroundings in rural South Carolina.

You can feel the vibes, feel the people pulling for you.

One of the most predictable things in life is there will be change. You are better off if you can have a say in the change. But you are ignorant or naive if you don't think there will be change, whether you want it to or not.

I liked the game, I enjoyed the game, and the game fed me enough, and gave me enough rewards to reinforce that this is something that I should spend time doing, and that I could possibly make a priority in my life, versus other sports.

Goals determine what you're going to be.

I think I was chosen by basketball, although I never really physically got drafted to any team that I played for.

The first professional game that I ever played remains, to me, the most exciting moment of my professional career.

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

In a lot of areas of my life, particularly in my teenage years, I began to think about the world, and to think about the universe as being a part of my conscious everyday life.

Right up until the time I retired at age 37, I felt like there were still things that I could do better.

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

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.

There's the typical books, Moby Dick and, I guess in my adult life I began to read biographies more than fiction. I started to want to relate to other people's lives, things that had really happened.

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.

LA Clippers should come to Louisville

I had to spend countless hours, above and beyond the basic time, to try and perfect the fundamentals.