Some young players think that they want to be like Manuel Neuer.
There was never a day when I was as good as Joe DiMaggio at his best. Joe was the best, the very best I ever saw.
I grew up watching LeBron and asking him to follow me back on Twitter, going to his camps. So just to be able to compete against a player like him and be a few shots away from beating him and his team to go to a championship is something I will always remember.
I was fascinated by Harry Gilmer and wanted to learn to throw the ball just like him.
Nastia Liukin, I was obsessed with her. And I say was, but really am obsessed with her. She's just so amazing.
If Tim Duncan had Knicks on his jersey, he'd be a god.
The first good player I watched as a kid was Joe DiMaggio, and that was like ballet. Since then, I played sandlot and college ball and came to understand how difficult it can be.
I grew up the No. 1 Michael Jordan fan on Earth. I was from the Philadelphia area and Jordan was king.
As a boy, I wanted to be the Peruvian Diego Maradona. Sadly, Peru hasn't made the World Cup since 1982, so I guess I did well to choose something different.
I was kind of hoping it was Anna Kournikova.
I wish I could play like Roger Federer.
Ronaldinho is the biggest idol in football for me. I like him a lot.
Lionel Messi is a role model for everyone, including me.
When I was a teenager, my idol was the Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff. He's the only person I've ever asked for an autograph.
I've always been a big-time Scottie Pippen fan. That was my guy growing up!
I was a big fan of Maradona growing up and of the current crop Ronaldo is good but Messi is the best I’ve ever seen. I don’t dish out praise lightly but Messi deserves it. I look for weaknesses in his game and I can’t find them.
Over the years I've learnt to live with two persons in my heart. One is Edson, who has fun with his friends and family; the other is the football player Pele. I didn't want the name. 'Pele' sounds like baby-talk in Portuguese.
My first hero to wear the number 10 shirt was Ronaldinho.
My favorite player growing up was Julius Erving, because I loved the way he played above the rim, all of the tricks with the ball, big hands, and just phenomenal showmanship.
To play with Zinedine Zidane was the biggest honour I have had in my career...
I love Virat Kohli, he has achieved a lot.
I wanted to be Ronaldinho. I studied him a lot. He was my hero.
Oh, I was a big Tony Atlas fan. I think I tried to throw my first dropkick because of Tony - and almost broke my shoulder.
My whole life, I grew up watching Tiger Woods. If I tuned in to a golf tournament, that's who I watched.
Federer said something interesting once. He said that he was watching Rod Laver, and me, and he said he was trying to copy us and to be like us. And that’s a great compliment for us.
