Scottie Pippen

“Your job, what you do every day, I think it takes a high priority over anything. That was something I dedicated myself to throughout my career.”

“Playing with Michael Jordan would be a great opportunity for me. I would have someone around I could learn a lot from. I look up to him as a player and as a person, and that would make me a better player and person.”

“I know how to win games.”

“You just go out and try to always play at your best.”

“I was way behind physically in high school. They had weight bars that were about forty-five pounds. I couldn't handle them. Couldn't even put the weights on. It was embarrassing. So I always figured out ways to avoid lifting when I was young.”

“Each season was different and presented its own set of circumstances and challenges.”

“When I look back at my first few seasons in the NBA, we didn't dominate as a team. There were a lot of nights where we took a beating and got whacked across the head. But we got better along the way, and we started to taste the success. With that came the pressure and expectations to be successful.”

“He lifted weights, he rode the bike; he kept himself going before and after games, as well as practices. He always kept himself in top shape and was very determined. You put a relentless Dennis Rodman out on the basketball court, and you better have someone there to match his energy. If you don't, it's going to be a long night.”

“You've got to have a commitment to your craft.”

“I feel like I'm a guy who gets other guys shots.”

“It's an honor to have kids. It's a responsibility.”

“I'm never going to leave my family hanging out to dry.”

“As a player, you experience so many different moments, but you never truly sit back and reflect on them. You enjoy them, but with the championships, we were so busy celebrating with everyone that we didn't really realize what we had accomplished as individuals and as a team.”

“I remember the night in December 2005 when the Bulls retired my number and will never, ever forget it.”

“When I look at my career, I was really about defending.”

“I've come a long way from my first commercials.”

“I want to thank the NBA and U.S.A. Basketball. Words can't describe my feeling. I was a small town kid from Hamburg, Arkansas, and you provided me a platform to live out my passion, the game of basketball, on the world's grandest stage.”

“For me, getting your number retired is the greatest accomplishment. There is no accolade with more significance that you can receive from an organization or school. Whether it was my four years at Central Arkansas or all my seasons with the Bulls in Chicago, it's a sign of respect for what I have done.”

“It's not easy to win 60 games in the NBA.”

“It's not common for your best player to also be your most unselfish player.”