Julius Erving Quotes

"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."

"If you get depressed about being the second-best team in the world, then you've got a problem."

"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."

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

"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."

"Every team that I've played on, I've either been the captain or co-captain."

"I came from a broken home, so my mom was a major influence in my life."

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"When the crowd appreciates you, it encourages you to be a little more daring, I think."

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

"They are taking steps, but they are baby steps."

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

"I keep both eyes on my man. The basket hasn't moved on me yet."

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end."