Vlade Divac Quotes

I knew my successor would be better than me for the next stage of the company's life. And it was a relief - I'd been doing it for 30 years. My only worry was what the hell I was going to do with my time.

I know most of the black players who preceded and followed me at Duke. They all contribute to our tradition of excellence on the court.

Often there are players who have only football as a way of expressing themselves and never develop other interests. And when they no longer play football, they no longer do anything; they no longer exist, or rather they have the sensation of no longer existing.

I never contemplated any kind of existence or identity after my career. I never thought at some point the entertainment industry is going to be through with me. And when it first occurred to me that my career was going to cease to be ascendant, then I freaked out.

What is there about basketball that makes Larry Bird or Lenny Wilkens want to coach after their playing careers are done?

I had a bonding problem when I went off and boxed for five years. I was over in Europe and Asia fighting because I wanted to do something different; I was tired of acting. But the thing is, when I was done doing that, I couldn't get a job.

I love Memphis. They've been good to me, the town and everything else. And quite frankly, I love the NBA and love being involved in it.

I met wonderful people playing in the NBA. Whether it is the officials, the scorekeepers, all the people who work for the NBA, not just for the Lakers, but I'm talking about just for the league itself.

I got my Bachelor's degree in nursing and worked nine years - even taught nursing in a college - before I stopped and said to myself, 'This is not who I am. I am not really a nurse inside. I'm a writer.'

When I worked as a music and fashion photographer, I always had the nagging feeling that there was something missing, that I wasn't using my skills productively. I gave up photography - I walked away from it completely - and started doing care work.

It's true: a lot of sportspeople really struggle to find something to do when they finish. It tips them into all sorts of strange things. With ex-footballers, it's really scary. I think 70% of them get divorced within five years. It's hard. You go from being really famous to not that famous. Your salary drops through the floor.

Retirement is purgatory for the former sports star. The world outside organized sports is unforgiving.

When the NBA adopted their uniform that they had to wear, I thought that was very interesting. And you see the way NBA players dress: It's very cool.

I read Leisel Jones' book. She said she retired at 27 and said, 'Now what?' because swimming was the biggest part of her life. So for me, that's why I'm keeping up my studies on the side even if it's going to take a bit longer than normal, but at least I'll have it.

You spend 20 years doing something and when you're not doing it, it's hard to figure out what it is you're made of. Am I the guitarist in Slipknot and that is it, or do I have more dimensions than that?

Day 1, when I was drafted to the Toronto Raptors, they had this stigma on them: Every guy leaves. Nobody wants to be here. Superstars, nobody wants to play in Canada. From Day 1, my whole mindset and approach to the game, being in Toronto, was I wanted to change that whole narrative to that whole organization.

Every person that's in the NBA should experience playing in New York at least once in their career.

I was familiar with the Heat and their culture because I played with Dexter Pittman and he was here early in his career.

When our career is over, when we retire and the basketball stops bouncing, we still have to find something else to do.

I do think about them things, life after football. What type of person I want to be.

What am I doing, just playing basketball? It was eating at me. Because basketball, you play, you retire, you're done. I wanted to do something more.

I'm obviously very grateful to play for a sports organization like the Boston Celtics.

Sure, there's a lot of negativity, but basketball is such a huge thing in my community. Flint has a very rich tradition in basketball.

People say people who spend too many years in prison don't know how to act when they get free. I don't know how I am going to act, how I am going to kill time, once I am not a fighter. Retirement scares me, and I have to think about how I am going to handle it.

You only have to see the rate of divorce in cricket. You're away so much and then 18 months later, you're around all the time and not sure what to do with the rest of your life. You go from being at the peak of your powers to being at the bottom of the food chain.