Ron Artest and Charles Oakley in 2002 after Michael Jordan received a two-minute standing ovation in his return to Chicago: Artest: "I didn't like that at all. After they call him, they should call us right out. What are we waiting for? We're the home team. Wait until after." Oakley: "I could've waited a half-hour. That's once in a lifetime. These guys who complain have never done anything. That's the problem. Nobody's patient. Give the man respect."

Phil Jackson in 2002 on nearly becoming head coach of the New Jersey Nets in the summer of 1999: "Jackson had two meetings with the Nets, and his agent, Todd Musburger, recalled having at least four meetings and a series of telephone calls over a six-week period before Jackson decided to turn down the job." "He captured my imagination with it, but Jayson Williams had just went down with a serious fractured leg. He was a $90 million player... A lot of things were happening. Stephon (Marbury) had just been traded for."

Wilt Chamberlain and Red Auerbach in October 1959 during Wilt's first NBA pre-season: Wilt on the physical play: "They've been banging me around good in the exhibition games. But their rough stuff can't force me to change my style. They can't force me to use my elbows on them." "This roughness is the big surprise I've found in our 10 exhibition games. There wasn't much of it when I was with the Harlem Globetrotters last season, or in my two years before that with Kansas." Auerbach on reports Wilt outplayed Bill Russell: "I don't know who that writer is, but I do know that the guy must have been looking at a different game. Chamberlain is great and will be greater, but he certainly didn't make Russell look like an ordinary player."

New York Knicks coach Fuzzy Levane in 1959 outlining his game plan to defend Wilt Chamberlain: "Defensively, we're going to play three men back near the basket and the other two up. We hope to draw Chamberlain out of the keyhold for passes. If he shoots from outside, good; we'll take our chances on getting the rebound." "If the other Warriors can work the ball into Wilt under the basket, we'll have to collapse." "We don't think we can stop Chamberlain, but we think we can hamper and harass him."

On this day in 1959: Wilt Chamberlain making his NBA debut at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. "The crowd of 15,127 who came to see what makes the Big Dipper tick was not disappointed. They sat limp and bug-eyed as the gigantic rookie flipped in 43 points on an assortment of sensational shots." "In addition, he picked off 28 rebounds and batted down half a dozen shots from close in."

San Francisco Warriors coach Bob Feerick in May 1963 on drafting 6-11 center Nate Thurmond to play alongside Wilt Chamberlain: "He was our No. 1 all the way. He's just coming into his own. He's the Bill Russell-type, the way he blocks shots and gets rebounds. There isn't a club in the league that couldn't use him." "Warrior plans for Thurmond don't include too much playing at the center spot, except on rare occasions when Chamberlain takes a breather."

Red Auerbach on Bob Cousy setting the single-game assist record (28) in a 173-point performance: "I never saw anything like that in my 13 years in professional basketball. I heard he had a chance to break the record. So I rested him for a minute and sent him right back to bust it." Lakers guard Hot Rod Hundley: "The greatest man ever. He's just too much, that man. Fantastic. He made some wonderful passes on that floor this afternoon."

Bill Russell in 1963 on how he guards Wilt Chamberlain: "I talk to Wilt. I say, I'm married, got three kids, two automobiles unpaid for, property in West Africa that costs me money. I'm not trying to influence you, but... do what you think best."

Michael Jordan was whistled for a carry in his very first preseason game with the Wizards. Every player in the league does it today. It's never called.

Shai’s 20-point streak came to an end at 141 games last night. Ever wonder how Wilt’s original 126-game run ended in 1963? It took rookie referee Red Oates ejecting him just 4 minutes into the game after a five-second exchange. Oates on tossing Wilt: "When I called a personal foul on Wayne Hightower, Chamberlain said something about me to Hightower. I told him that would cost him a technical foul. Then he turned to me and said, 'It still goes.' That's when I gave him the second technical and that means automatic ejection."

"I may be lean, but I don't take no stuff." Julius Erving in 1976, responding to warnings from Dave Cowens that NBA enforcers would target him after the merger: "Dave Cowens warned me the other day that guys would be headhunting for me. But that's all right. I may be lean but I don't take no stuff." "It's like the old psych Russell used to give Chamberlain. He'd say something foul to him, talk about his mother or ignore him completely, and Wilt would be thinking more about what he's going to do to Bill Russell than about his game. I'm intelligent enough not to get locked into that type of thinking."

Julius Erving after capturing the final ABA title in 1976: "Julius Erving remained. He sat silently in the far corner of the Net locker room. On the floor in front of him lay the evidence of the celebration… On the wall in back of him hung a picture of Wendall Ladner, his late teammate — killed in a plane crash in June — and friend." "I'll remember this night," said Erving. "We had everything going for us. We had 16,000 people screaming for us. We had Super John Williamson. We had the memory of Wendall behind us."

Raptors guard Mike James in 2006 on Steve Nash's MVP candidacy during his second MVP season: "If he gets it, I guess... I don't know," James said. "I don't know what it's judged on. I know Phoenix is having a good regular season, but everything should be judged on the post-season, also." "I look at somebody like Allen Iverson, and what he's doing for the Philadelphia 76ers. He's having the best season of his career, stats-wise. I look at what Shawn Marion is doing. There's a lot of guys you have an argument for."

Elgin Baylor in 1965 responding to press claims that his play was declining: "Listen," he says, through set teeth. "I am playing better basketball than I have ever been playing. You have to watch action at both ends of the court. You have to look for statistics that no sportswriter ever looks for." Elgin on Jerry West's broken nose: "I will give Jerry my nose any day for his knees. I need two good knees. My nose can take care of itself."

Dominique Wilkins getting whistled for a travel on a Eurostep in the 80s. (That spin on Bird to set up the steal was pretty cool, too.)

This was called an offensive foul on Elgin Baylor in 1959, without the defender even trying to flop or sell the call.

This was called a travel in the 1980 All-Star Game. Compare that strict enforcement to what players get away with today.

The Showtime Lakers once started 29–0 against the Kings in 1987, holding Sacramento without a single field goal in a 40–4 first quarter: Kings guard Derek Smith on the brutal start: "It didn't take an Einstein to realize that when they were up by 16 points and they were running plays for Kurt Rambis to hit jump shots, we were in trouble." Pat Riley on the blowout: "I don't think any team embarrasses another team, but a team can embarrass themselves. I will never take any joy in beating anybody like that. That's not what it's all about." A.C. Green: "The first time I looked at the score it was 22–0. I was out there hustling and playing as hard as I could. I never noticed that they hadn't scored a basket." Byron Scott: "I don't feel badly for the Kings. That's the way it goes in the NBA."

The fact that Bam broke Kobe’s scoring record says everything about where the game is at. And that’s no disrespect to Bam… he played the hand he was dealt. But the 2000s was a real defensive era. When the league inflates offense so much that an average All-Star can top 81 points, it ruins the history and balance of the game.

In the 60s, Wilt got whistled for millimeter pivot slips. Today, perimeter players get unlimited gather steps and carries. The rule enforcement leeway directly drives today's inflated efficiency. Modern defense will stay broken until the league restores fundamental rules.