Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

“The game has basically not changed since I ended my career.”

“My health is fine.”

“Center is a very tough position to play.”

“Music is really something that makes people whole.”

“A lot of young players don't really know much about the history of the game and a lot of them are missing out on what the game is all about, especially the whole concept of sportsmanship and teamwork.”

“The extra pass and the extra effort on defense always get the job done.”

“I wanted to play baseball!”

“I just like seeing the world, and it doesn't matter where.”

“I've always tried to stay out of the fray and not be an object of controversy.”

“A lot of players think the game is all about individual performances when it's really all about a team game.”

“I did a book in 1996, an overview of black history. In that process I became more aware of a lot of the black inventors of the 19th century.”

“I think I did very well against everyone who tried to defend me.”

“It's hard for young players to see the big picture. They just see three or four years down the road.”

“Even when there are adverse circumstances, I try to do my job. And I usually do.”

“Five guys on the court working together can achieve more than five talented individuals who come and go as individuals.”

“My mother had to send me to the movies with my birth certificate, so that I wouldn't have to pay the extra fifty cents that the adults had to pay.”

“Michael Jordan and Magic and myself all learned how to play the game in college programs that emphasized the team.”

“I think the NBA will certainly survive without Michael Jordan.”

“I want people to understand that I intend to continue living and doing all the things that I love to do up until the end. And the end is by no means rushing up on me.”

“My most memorable moment came in 1985 as we beat the Boston Celtics.”