I don't know why you play a team sport and not be concerned about making your teammates better and helping your team win games. That's the only thing that really matters, and if you're the best player, surely you're going to have some effect on the game's outcome.
I'm not going to play with a filter anymore; I'm going to play the game I need to play to be a great player for my team.
I learnt a lot of things in Holland, as people have great vision there. It improved me as a player and a person. I had very good coaches that wanted to play offensive football and dominate games and be better than their opponent. You also need to play for your team-mates as well as yourself; then, afterwards, you can show your own quality.
I think it was good, we wanted to win no matter if it was 1-0 or 8-2, we got to win. The Russians are a great team, but so are we. So we've gotta prepare the way we can and play the way we can tomorrow. I think that every game, every practice together we've continue to get better. It's tough in these short tournaments you gotta bond quickly and you've gotta have good chemistry; so hopefully now we can build on that and keep going.
I don't think I've changed very much. I think I'm the same kid that I was when I got here. When I came here all I wanted to do was win games. I wanted to play baseball for LSU and be the ultimate team player. That's all I want to do. If we don't end up being the last team to win the game at the end of the year then I won't be happy. That's all I'm worried about this year.
I think winning a championship, for me, it put things in perspective. You can either be a great player on a so-so team, or you can be a role player on a championship team, or, in an extreme case, a great player on a championship team.
The coach's job is to be part servant in helping each player reach his goals within the team concept.
I badly wanted to play Dr. Aziz but I knew I wasn't going to get it. I didn't go to be interviewed until I finally was forced to by the director I was working with in Calcutta. I thought, they aren't going to give me that part. I didn't want to go there and be told I wasn't good enough, or that I didn't suit the part.
It's the play-offs, the end of the season, the big games, if that doesn't excite you as a team or a player then you shouldn't be playing.
I don't like it when a player says, 'I like freedom; I want to play for myself.' Because the player has to understand he is part of a team with 10 other players. If everyone wants to be a jazz musician, it will be chaos. They will not be a team, and nothing will be possible.
We have to be mentally prepared for every team we play. If we play a team who has a big name on their chests, then we are going to come out ready. But if we play a team who doesn't have a big name or a star player, we have a hard time coming out ready.
Team playing, that's what I see when I'm out there watching the WNBA games. All the girls play as a team, and they have each other's backs, and that's great.
Of course team spirit and team's strategy matters more than anything else as far as the team is concerned. As far as I am concerned, if the presence of one player is affecting the morale or the spirit of the team, then we might as well rest that player for a while.
To have a great player like Neymar at PSG would be a great honour. He's a phenomenal player, and to have great player is a great thing for the team.
You know when you play in the big away games that the fans are going to be behind their team and will be booing you. As a professional you need to tune yourself out of that part of the game and concentrate on the job at hand.
Neymar is undoubtedly the best player in Brazil. He deserves to play in the best team in the world; next to the best player in the world, Messi.He is a very good player with great quality and a great future.I have no doubt. For me, Neymar is a genius.