Basketball

Shaquille O’Neal picks out his favorite Lakers photos with longtime team photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Yes, this is his real handwriting.

Nobody believed in us when this tournament started, but we’re still here.

“New year, new season, new a** whupping." We’ve been repeating it over and over this week.

We have a group of young men who are as impressive as any you’ll find in the country. They also happen to play some pretty good basketball. Ask Duke.

After I signed with the Mavericks, I packed up my things and got on a one-way flight to Dallas. I landed to find a city in mourning.

Pat Summitt is a mountain. We’re all standing in her shadow.

As proud as I am to hear those words, I’m even more surprised. I still can’t believe how many people all over the country know who the Shockers are.

When you’re my size, the only thing you can do is face reality.

We have 17 players and I love them like family. But we should have 18. We were supposed to have 18 guys on our roster. We used to have 18.

All the former Zags who paved the way — we owe them. Now it's time to finish what they started.

This team, and this year in particular, has brought me closer to my dad. Maybe it’s partly because we both know that this is our last run together.

I remember one question after the game, “Do you think 50 points is your ceiling?” In my head I was thinking: No way.

When you’re a rookie, you think that once you’re in the league, it’s just basketball … but on a higher level. Now I know that ain’t the whole story.

Tar Heel Nation has unfinished business. We want a championship.

What we’re doing here is bigger than any end-of-season tournament. We’re building a program, a tradition, a culture.

Toronto made me feel like I belonged — like I was a part of this movement that we were all building together. And in my heart, I will always be a part of that m

Let me prove to you how Kentucky I am right off the bat.

No one believed I could dunk. No one believed me for the longest time.

Not a lot of people come out of my situation and make it to a place like the NBA.

I don’t want people to forget just how good the NBA was back when I was playing and how hard we competed with one another.

Like any dad, my dad can be annoying. He can be a pest. But he’s doing it for all the right reasons. Even if he’s sliding into your Facebook messages.

Somehow I think we still don’t appreciate how skilled he was.

It’s coming soon.

I guess you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.