Erik Spoelstra has always been a guy I'd talk to even when he was just doing video clips for the Heat.
I've been around a lot of great coaches in college and the NBA, and I knew Erik Spoelstra three months, and I told my wife, father, and brother that this guy is going to be a helluva coach.
I love being in a spot where not only do I expect my own greatness - I'm also part of an organization that expects greatness from me. Or just think of it this way: Would you want to be the dude who lets Pat Riley down?
It was amazing, really a dream come true, to not only get drafted by the Heat, but then also to be here with Pat Riley and the rest of the coaching staff.
I've played for the Miami Heat my whole career under Pat Riley. Mr. GQ himself. So when I pick out my outfits before a game, I'm already feeling confident. And some of that swagger stays with me when I take the court.
Pat Riley, Dave Checketts and Ernie Grunfeld - they brought the Knicks back to the glory days. It started with Rick Pitino. We took our first step with him, making the playoffs. When Pat came in we just kicked the door open.
I'm a product of Pat Riley and his culture.
I'm certainly thankful for what the Cubs did for me. I respect their organization. It's the same way with the Atlanta Braves, an awfully fine organization. I respect everybody who's down there, and that's still where I live today. But the Cardinals represent the best years of my career.
Pat Riley is the best coach I've ever had...
Pat Summerall personified less is more. His play-by-play was so bare bones but so great because he had a great, deep-toned voice.
You look at the assistant coaches under [Pat Riley] that played and they have become prosperous within this game. It triples all the way down from the assistant players to the coaches. Patrick Ewing went into coaching as well as myself.
There's some guys in the league that I really want to respect me. I respect the way they play, I respect the way they look at the game, and their respect is more important instead of having a job.
The Bulls are first class in every way: great people, organization, culture, and a great place to play basketball.
Pat has been instrumental in what we've done here so far and the most selfish thing for me is that I want to see what we've done placed in the hands of the most competent person, and that's Pat. No one would come close to being able to continue to build on what we've done here so far like he will.
I am a leader. Leaders always get heat. They're always going against the grain. Jimi Hendrix got heat; Bob Marley got heat; Miles Davis got heat. Every great artist got heat. Heat means you're doing something right.
I am a leader, so leaders always get heat. They're always going against the grain. Jimi Hendrix got heat; Bob Marley got heat; Miles Davis got heat. Every great artist got heat. Heat means you're doing something right.