A Quote by Jim Boeheim

The NBA has never drafted a player for defense. At any position, even at center. — © Jim Boeheim
The NBA has never drafted a player for defense. At any position, even at center.
Even before I made my high school team, I'd say I want to be a NBA player, and people laughed at me with, 'Get out of here, you ain't going to be a NBA player. You don't even play basketball.'
I think any player at any position their rookie year, they're trying to figure out how to process all the information we give them, how to process what the defense is doing and then actually physically play the game and the position that they're playing.
Inch for inch, the 6-foot-3 Westbrook is the NBA's most sensationally talented player, a relentlessly explosive basket-attacker with a deadly pull-up jumper - a top-10 NBA player by any big-picture statistical measure from Player Efficiency Rating to Win Shares.
You should never want to be a one position player. If you're a real basketball player, you should be able to play any position. That's the difference between really good players and average players.
NBA has a selfish rationale. It saves the owners money by delaying the time a player gets to a second, more lucrative contract. Even the player's union is on board. There are only 450 jobs in the NBA, and the one-and-done protects veterans' jobs.
My favorite position is in the center of the midfield, maybe the defensive midfield. I think I can play this position the best. I played there in my youth all the time, and I like to be in the center of the game because you're never standing still.
It's a blessing to be an NBA player and to be in a position to help other people.
The NBA is a culture shock for college kids, and even more so for kids from another country. The NBA is a unique environment, so there is going to be transition for any young kid, but I think coming from another country and culture is even harder. It does take a special toughness and confidence to deal with that, especially since a lot of times you don't play a lot as a young player.
My mental approach is totally different. My coach predicated everything on defense. He always talked about defense, defense, defense. I took it to heart that if you play defense, you can take the heart from an offensive player.
I've never played, on the field, any other position besides quarterback. Never been on a special team. Never been on defense.
Whether a player rotates more or less depends on his form and his position. It's not the same for a center back as it is for a winger. Every player is different.
Most of the power forwards in the NBA are 6'10', 6'11', making it difficult for a player at 6'7', 6'8' to the play the position.
If you're a great defensive player, you're a great defensive player 100% of the time. You can't be a great defensive player half of the time because you didn't get the ball once or twice. That can't sidetrack you. It's got to be 'I live for my defense, and my offense I'll get. But I can't let it affect my defense. Nothing affects my defense.'
I think it's important that you recognize the center position going against the 3-4 defense depends on a guy going in there and being dominant.
I never really talked about being an NBA player or a college player. I just really like playing basketball.
My dream was to be in the NBA. I wasn't really focused on being a star player on a team. I just wanted to make it to the NBA. I've been blessed for the opportunities to be in the Finals, been in the playoffs ever since I've been in the NBA.
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