Julius Erving Quotes

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

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

I always try to keep a pretty conservative demeanor on the court.

You can feel the vibes, feel the people pulling for you.

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.

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

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

Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don't feel like doing them.

I had to spend countless hours, above and beyond the basic time, to try and perfect the fundamentals.

I think I started learning lessons about being a good person long before I ever knew what basketball was. And that starts in the home, it starts with the parental influence.

Attitude is altitude.

When I played, the owners had the power. The prisoners are running the prison now, not the warden. The warden is strong and he has say so but, the balance of power is definitely with the players.

To be great we need to win games we aren't supposed to win.

Goals determine what you are going to be

Goals determine what you're going to be.

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

If you're not doing what is best for your body, you are the one who lose.

I demand more from myself than anybody could ever expect.

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

One of the things in the back of my mind is that, after my sports experience, I never want to be, totally consumed by any one endeavor, other than my family life.

They are taking steps, but they are baby steps.

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

My mom is one of 14 children. She's a great lady. She's a Taurus. Has been a profound influence in my life, still is to this day. Born in meager surroundings in rural South Carolina.

One of the commitments that I personally have now is to a diverse approach to buying businesses, and the operation of those businesses.

It's better to stay too long than to leave too soon.

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

That was just my own personal program: I didn't want to get too high over the good moments because I didn't want to be saddened and depressed when things didn't go as I had planned.

Right up until the time I retired at age 37, I felt like there were still things that I could do better.

I pulled the plug on it at a time that I thought was right for me to exit.

I am very proud to be featured, especially when you consider the outstanding champions who have had this honor. It is great company to be in.

I think I was chosen by basketball, although I never really physically got drafted to any team that I played for.

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.

The ones who become stars or superstars are the ones who have a head on their shoulders and know how to use it.

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.

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.

The first professional game that I ever played remains, to me, the most exciting moment of my professional career.

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

When handling the ball, I always would look for daylight, wherever there was daylight.

At age 31, in 1981, I was voted the best player in basketball, and the most valuable player in the league.

The biggest thing that I felt basketball could do for me was help me get a good education.

To be an innovator, you can't be worried about making mistakes.

I think that my God-given physical attributes, big hands, and big feet, the way that I'm built, proportion-wise, just made basketball the most inviting sport for me to play.

If you've experienced having control, you don't want to be moved to a subordinate position, if you have your druthers.

I didn't want to become a reserve player, or a bench player, and it was time to move on and take on another challenge.

Because of the makeup of the NBA, it cannot afford for the public to turn on them.

I live my life trying to never appear to be a small man.

You know, we always tried to rationalize by saying you take the good, you take the upside, you got to deal with the downside, you've to take the downside.

You know, just in terms of having to have a life on the road, you know, having the celebrity aspect be a burden for my family, friends and extended family.

I started playing professional basketball in 1971, and I played professionally for five seasons before going to Philadelphia.

But you know, we have a very normal family. We've had our ups and downs. You know, we've had our issues, but we've had great cause for celebration.