Quotes from Shawn Kemp

When things don't go right, people are always trying to protect themselves.

When I was younger, I was a guy who always wanted to get to the rim and attack the rim and just dunk the basketball.

I am not a savior.

I learned so much from the people in Seattle. They taught me everything from community to business relationships.

I don't know when, or how, but I feel it: Basketball will come back to Seattle.

I've got some kids out there; it's no secret. I've never been late on payments. I've handled it as best as I possibly can. There's no lawsuits. I try to stay on top of it.

I'm not trying to come back and change the perception of what people think about me. They can think what they want to, man.

I was known for a lot of dunks, but my first big dunk really came here in New York. I had some others back then, but my first major dunk came against the Knicks and Kenny 'Sky' Walker. So, you know, New York has a lot of meaning to me.

The best feeling is when you dunk on a big guy bigger than you, then you can give him that look. It shrinks him down a bit!

You don't play eight years and all of a sudden let your game go down just for a trade.

Anytime you play basketball and your backs are to the wall, you have to come out and play aggressive.

It was just one of those things that, you know, you get to the NBA and have success and you just wanna play against the best, you don't wanna play with the best.

Most of the time when you're going for a championship, unless you have guys who are willing to sacrifice, you're not going to win it.

I'm not coming back to play basketball for any financial reasons.

People, when they sent me to Cleveland, what they expected was for Shawn to go to Cleveland and us to lose, you know what I'm saying? It's not going to happen.

There is no positive outlook about Shawn Kemp in Seattle. When that name is mentioned, it brings nothing but negativity.

I make sure I stay in full contact with the kids. It is my responsibility to make sure these guys are taken care of and loved. That's what I have to do and will continue to do.

When I was younger, I used to dunk and they criticized me for the dunk. They said I couldn't be an All-Star because I dunked too much. So in order to get the respect from the people, I felt like I had to change my game.

I guess the all-American presentation of what a player is supposed to stand for is not what I am.

I would never let myself go back there to play another 82-game season in Seattle. I think the team deserves better and the fans deserve better.

Making it to the Finals was the hardest work. You have to go out and play the physical and mental game.

The NBA fits my game.

My game hasn't changed at all. I don't call it flair or whatever. It's just the way I've always played.

I see myself as a winner. I'm not one of those guys who say, 'Let's come back next year and maybe give it a better shot.' The shot is now.