One of his main principles is that there’s no excuse for not trying. The first setback came when he didn’t make the varsity basketball team in sophomore year, because he was only 5’9” and his taller classmate Leroy Smith had taken the last spot on the team. Vowing to himself never to be in the same position again, he made a habit to practice daily – without fail. Hitting a growth spurt and reaching 6’3” he made the team the following year and never looked back. He went on to win two gold medals in the Olympics, and winning the NBA’s most valuable player 5 times in his career, it was his determination and practice that gave him the greatest success.