Chris Mullin Quotations

We're extremely pleased and fortunate to add someone the caliber of John MacLeod to our coaching staff, ... His impressive resume speaks for itself in terms of his success in the NBA and the experience he has gained in this league. We think he'll make a wonderful addition to our organization and team.

There are a lot of characteristics good coaches have at any level, and Mike has all that. Of course when you change leagues ... the game is different and that just takes an adjustment period. I think Mike has handled all that really well. He feels more comfortable.

Losing is just sad. It was gnawing at everyone. Something had to change.

Much appreciated. It's a celebration of the past, but I look forward to it. I get to see a lot of people that were instrumental in my development and, to this day, are still a part of my life.

Never. I've got a lot of belief in Mike.

I could see the core sticking together and being very successful. I could see something else happening. This is the NBA.

He's a guy that's going to contribute to helping this team win. Plus, the way the team is constructed now, he's a good fit.

We looked at all (the trade scenarios) over not just today, the last several months, and nothing got done. There's things going on all the time that you talk about. And they come and go, and you move on.

I think they welcome it. Why wouldn't they? The improvement we made, we feel great about. It was good for these guys to see something they can build on.

I think Mike is learning a lot still. That's to be expected. To me, the last 3-4 weeks, how the team has played in a tough stretch, they've shown a lot of professionalism in this last stretch here.

We need to play, I don't want to say with a sense of urgency (but) we need to be able to execute and finish games. We put ourselves in position to win, and hopefully, we learn from those missed opportunities and change those outcomes.

Why and how, I'm not sure. I think we underestimate their feeling of history, the fact that they care. I think they get pinned with a broad brush: 'They don't care, it doesn't matter to them.' But I think our best players will step up.

We view him as an integral part of our future and as a player who will continue to develop and expand his game, much as he has during his first three years in the NBA. Mike is a player who has improved every year that he has been in the league.

The players, from what they've done this summer, feel this is real. I think the excitement is about the talent that fits together that can win. It's not a marketing ploy.

When you lose ... you don't feel good. But you still have to get up, address things, change them. And when you win, it feels a little better.

We feel like it's time for these guys to take the next step,

There's going to be instances where some might see it as an advantage (to play small) and some might see it as a disadvantage, ... You have to make it work to your advantage. The people that make it work are those who play that way, and for good reason ? they get results.

(Is it) disappointing being below .500? No. Would I like to be over? Yes. But again, our record is where it stands, and we're right in the middle of a lot of teams bunched up. It's our job, our focus, to get above that. To get out of that bunch.

The way Mike performed, the way he conducted himself, and the way we run our organization, we both felt it was something that we wanted, ... We're still putting together a team and not just individuals. Mike's ability to play with the guys that we have on our roster, along with his age and his development ... are what it's about.

The same commitment that was there 40 years ago, that same person was at that meeting caring. The people there really spoke their minds, which is nice.

It puts a smile on my face, ... excitement and trust and confidence and leadership. And as importantly, a whole lot of talent. I think he's got a unique combination of talent, skill, personality and backs it up. He does things with a certain flair. You don't have to be a basketball person to see that.

It took me about four days to recover,

Their parents are serving us. We're just trying to give a little back to them. The way they serve our country and protect us, what we're doing is very small. It's been my pleasure to be here, and I thank God for our troops.

The fans, Mr. Cohan, they deserve better, and they're going to get better. I've got a terrible taste in my mouth. ... I don't feel we lack talent. How that talent plays together and ultimately wins together, it's my job to fix, because this year did not go the way I wanted it to, and that's on me. There's no place else to look but right here.

He's an important part, no question about it. When he plays up to his level, it just makes everything run smoother. It spreads everything out and we become a harder team to deal with.

I am not aware of any evidence that the government in any way is complicit with what's going on.

All of that has been deeply damaging to the process.