“It was a great place to grow up. There were always kids around in our neighborhood. We had a basketball hoop in the back of our house, a little front yard where you could get touch football games going. I know you think of it as a big city, but it was fun for me to grow up in New Orleans. I remember it as a very normal childhood.” ThinkingKnowsLittlesBigsKidsRememberGamesHouseFunGrowsCitiesGrowing UpChildhoodFrontsFootballBasketballNormalNeighborhoodYardsNew OrleansFootball GameBig CitiesTouch Football Author:Eli Manning
“I grew up in Arkansas and that's the law. My dad was a high school basketball coach, so I was raised as a coach's son and I was a baseball player back in Arkansas, and I lived in Texas, too, so I was just surrounded by sports. So that's what I was going to do: Pitch for the St Louis Cardinals. I had no idea I was going to be an actor. So I got my collar bone broken in the Kansas City Royals training camp. And once I got hurt I started doing other things for a while.” IdeasSchoolLawActorsSportsHurtCitiesPlayerSonBrokenGrewDadBasketballGrew UpTrainingHigh SchoolBaseballRaisedMy DadBonesCoachesNo IdeaTexasCampsRoyalCollarsCardinalsBaseball PlayerKansasBasketball CoachArkansasKansas CityGot HurtTraining Camp Author:Billy Bob Thornton
“I would love an extension, who wouldn't? If they offer me a $35 million-a-year extension, I'll sign it right now. I won't even read the contract. I'm just here to take care of business and I know can help give the city what it's looking for.” IfsKnowsGivingYearsHelpingCareCitiesMillionsRight NowOffersBasketballTake CareNbaContractsExtensions Author:Shaquille O'Neal
“Baseball is green and safe. It has neither the street intimidation of basketball nor the controlled Armageddon of football.... Baseball is a green dream that happens on summer nights in safe places in unsafe cities.” DreamHappensNightCitiesStreetsFootballSafeBasketballSummerBaseballGreenControlledIntimidationUnsafeArmageddonSafe PlacesSummer Nights Author:Luke Salisbury
“I was a baseball player at North Central High School in Spokane, Washington even though I was all-city in basketball, even when I signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Washington State.” StatesPlaySchoolCitiesPlayerBasketballHigh SchoolLettersBaseballQuarterbackBaseball PlayerWashington State Author:Ryne Sandberg
“Although I grew up in Kansas City, ... I have always kept more or less au courant of Texas barbecue, like a sports fan who is almost monomaniacally obsessed with basketball but glances over at the N.H.L. standings now and then.” SportsCitiesFansGrewBasketballGrew UpStandingObsessedTexasNow And ThenGlancesKansasBarbecueKansas CitySports Fan Author:Calvin Trillin
“It's fair to say that Jews dominated basketball and that started in the 30s in all the big cities. I think it was simply because Jews lived in ghettoes and basketball is a great schoolyard game. You don't need a lot of space or equipment and you can adapt it to how many players you have.” ThinkingNeedsBigsGamesSpaceCitiesPlayerBasketballFairsJewEquipmentBig Cities Author:Dolph Schayes
“People have these perceptions; maybe they've been here for a day, or have only heard about it. It was like when I first came to work here. You want to see the clean city that is always talked about, how nice the people are, the restaurants, the vibe, how diverse the city is. That's what we want to show: what an enjoyable city it is, what a great city it is. Forget about basketball.” PeopleWantFirstsShowsForgetCitiesNiceHeardBasketballPerceptionCleanRestaurantsDiverseEnjoyableGreat Cities Author:Masai Ujiri
“I love New York City; I've got a gun.” CitiesNew YorkBasketballGunNew York CityI Love New York Author:Charles Barkley
“I think the people here in New York appreciated what I brought to the table, and they showed it when I retired by the way they came out and supported me, and it meant a lot to me. It made me feel like I am a part of this city, and I will remain a part of this city.” PeopleThinkingWayFeelsMadeCitiesNew YorkBasketballTablesAppreciatedRetired Author:Patrick Ewing
“As a good player in the inner city, you're always hearing people saying that you're better than you really are and that you don't have to do things like everybody else.” PeopleCitiesPlayerBasketballHearingBetter Than YouInner City Author:Carmelo Anthony