Zitat des Tages von Julius Erving:
I live my life trying to never appear to be a small man.
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.
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.
If you get depressed about being the second-best team in the world, then you've got a problem.
Every team that I've played on, I've either been the captain or co-captain.
Goals determine what you're going to be.
With the crowds on your side, it's easier to play up to your potential.
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.
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.
Right up until the time I retired at age 37, I felt like there were still things that I could do better.
If you've experienced having control, you don't want to be moved to a subordinate position, if you have your druthers.
I pulled the plug on it at a time that I thought was right for me to exit.
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.
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.
When handling the ball, I always would look for daylight, wherever there was daylight.
In 1981, at age 31, I was voted the best player in basketball, and the most valuable player in the league.
To be great we need to win games we aren't supposed to win.
I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.
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.
I keep both eyes on my man. The basket hasn't moved on me yet.
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 had to spend countless hours, above and beyond the basic time, to try and perfect the fundamentals.
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.
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.
I always try to keep a pretty conservative demeanor on the court.
I came from a broken home, so my mom was a major influence in my life.
When the crowd appreciates you, it encourages you to be a little more daring, I think.
And I continued to grow until I was 25 years old.
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.
They are taking steps, but they are baby steps.
If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end.
You can feel the vibes, feel the people pulling for you.
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 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.
I demand more of myself than anyone else could ever expect.
One of the commitments that I personally have now is to a diverse approach to buying businesses, and the operation of those businesses.