Clyde Drexler

“I don't care what anybody says: a pro athlete is going to be a role model. I tried to use that as a positive influence, to let kids know we are regular people.”

“I had a lot of wonderful accomplishments in the game of basketball. Of course, to win a gold medal for your country - it doesn't get any better than that.”

“You talk about demand, and these are big-name NBA players fighting for spots to be in the BIG3. So you gotta bring your game to make a squad, and that's what Ice Cube's envisioned when he started the BIG3.”

“Jeff Kwatinetz and Ice Cube and Amy Trask - all those people are real visionaries, and the league that they started has been phenomenal. And my job as commissioner now is to kind of help continue to build, improve the fan and the player experience.”

“This should be a written rule: Guards should always defer to centers. I don't care how good you are, those big guys make the game so much easier for every other person on that team, and without them, everyone else needs to work twice as hard.”

“Without the hand check rule, players are more likely to work their way open.”

“You may score 50 points and grab 40 rebounds and have 30 assists, but if I don't make the free throws at the end of the game, and we lose, does that make you not a champion?”

“If I had a great game, and I was hot, usually we were up by 20-30 going into the fourth quarter. That means I don't get to play in the fourth quarter.”

“My favorite player growing up was Julius Erving, because I loved the way he played above the rim, all of the tricks with the ball, big hands, and just phenomenal showmanship.”

“If you've got the best record, you're going to be the favourite. So you've got to play as the favourite with a bullseye on your back.”

“I never stopped trying to improve - after 15 years of playing, I was still trying to think of something I could do better throughout the course of the year.”

“I love the game and played from 13 to 35 for almost every single day.”

“We had some great years in Portland. We went to the finals twice. We won 63 games one year. You can't tell me those weren't championship teams.”

“Basketball is a global sport.”

“To be able to have a professional 3-on-3 league and be a part of that, that's been a ton of fun, ton of fun. The fans love it, the players love playing it, and it's just a lot of fun to be around.”

“If I had to make a choice for the Hall of Fame... I would have gone in as a Portland Trail Blazer.”

“There are going to be some teams in Europe. There are going to be some teams in Asia. And they're all going to be a part of the NBA umbrella, eventually.”

“As commissioner, you have to have a great relationship with your players but also to the upper executives: you gotta make sure their mandates are all on target and in line.”

“It makes you a better player when you're around better competition. If you pay attention, you can learn something.”