Top 99 Quotes & Sayings by Shawn Kemp - Page 2

You won't see me doing a lot of talking, but you'll see me doing a lot of playing.

When I was younger, I used to dunk and they criticized me for the dunk. They said I couldn't be an All-Star because I dunked too much. So in order to get the respect from the people, I felt like I had to change my game.

Anytime you play basketball and your backs are to the wall, you have to come out and play aggressive.

I am not a savior.

I actually felt bad because I was dunking the ball so much. I led the league in dunks one year, and they told me that was the wrong thing to do.

You know, I'm not going to be on a losing team. That's just not going to happen.

Spectacular plays just happen. That's just part of the game.

My game hasn't changed at all. I don't call it flair or whatever. It's just the way I've always played.

I don't always have to dunk the ball.

I think most young players who take off from the start are usually put in a situation where they are surrounded by good, veteran players.

I can play full-court or half-court. It doesn't make any difference.

I don't go out looking to make spectacular plays. I just try to come in and be a physical presence inside.

I've always thought I could shoot from the outside.

Anytime you struggle, people are always going to say something.

When I got into the NBA, the thing of it was, if you won, you got a new arena. But if you lost, you had to work to get the arena.

I'm afraid that if they bring the Sonics back, what kind of team are they going to put on the court? Are they going to put the effort out? If they bring the team back, are they going to really put a good team out there? Or do we just want any team?

Most of the time when you're going for a championship, unless you have guys who are willing to sacrifice, you're not going to win it.

People are always going to be negative when they mention my name, but I can accept that and that's what makes it easier for me to go on.

I've always enjoyed playing in the summer.

Making it to the Finals was the hardest work. You have to go out and play the physical and mental game.

Anytime you're playing with a team that's losing, the main guy is going to take a lot of the heat.

You have to challenge yourself and things happen from there.

I'm relentlessly aggressive.

You can't be a losing team and get a new arena. That's not fair. That's not fair! That's how I see it.

I just want to get as far away from Indiana as possible.

I like to try to get around the younger generation to just encourage them. But I've always been afraid of coaching because I was always hard on myself as a player.

I see myself as a winner. I'm not one of those guys who say, 'Let's come back next year and maybe give it a better shot.' The shot is now.

My thing is to just go out and play.

You don't play eight years and all of a sudden let your game go down just for a trade.

People, when they sent me to Cleveland, what they expected was for Shawn to go to Cleveland and us to lose, you know what I'm saying? It's not going to happen.

I make sure I stay in full contact with the kids. It is my responsibility to make sure these guys are taken care of and loved. That's what I have to do and will continue to do.

I have always been able to handle situations well once they've happened to me.

I'm just getting wiser as I get older.

I'm drug-free. I don't drink.

It doesn't matter who's under the basket, I'm going to try to slam or block the shot.

When you lose you try to learn from your mistakes and build on them.

I played so many years without having a big contract, to have the big contract and not win and not have the appreciation, it hurt.

I never want to be considered a guy who made a lot of money who didn't earn it.

There's no second-place winners in this league.