Ray Allen

Ray: People decide if they want to be led, they'll be led. If they decide they don't want to be part of the system, they'll buck it.

Ray: The guys that we have potentially may or may not be here next year. Organizationally, if our chances are slim to make the playoffs, we have to focus on who is going to be here in the future. It seems like a logical move. Our young guys have been playing well. It does get frustrating when you feel like you have to play for next season.

Ray: At the end of the day, what brought me back here (Seattle) was my players, the guys I've played with. That meant to me more than anything.

Ray: It's just dirty basketball. It's plain, outright, dirty basketball. I don't mind the competition, someone going at me on both ends of the floor ... but when guys start throwing elbows and kick you when you're down, that's dirty basketball and I don't respect guys like that.

Ray (about who should win the MVP award): I would give it to (Steve) Nash. No question about it. I don't think anybody in the NBA is playing the way he's playing and his team is doing what they're doing. Take him off the roster and they would not be where they are.

Ray: Most teams have one All-Star, whether that guy made it this year or earlier in his career, and some teams have two All-Stars. What they're showing is that a group of five guys that play together and play hard will always beat a team with two All-Stars and three average players.

Ray: At certain times, the whole 'Let's play hard and leave it all on the floor' conversation is corny. I hate saying it, but I have to because that's what we do in sports. That's how we exist. That's how we motivate each other to be better every night. If you don't believe in the team system, that's the look guys gave me a lot of times. 'This is corny. I'm not going to be part of it. This is just me.' And that attitude isn't going to help any team.

Ray: Sometimes it's like I have to remind myself that that really happened. We (the Sonics) were a good team... Not a long time ago, but last year. It's funny how things change so fast.

Ray: When the effort is in question, the ball goes in different directions and the ball doesn't always bounce your way. When you're playing in the home of the NBA Champions, it isn't going to be easy.

Ray: You've got players that can really put the ball in the basket and they went on a run on us. You think the game is pretty much over with, but in the NBA teams can go on runs. I don't know how it happened.

Ray: The teams that do the best job of putting personal agendas aside are the successful teams. It's not easy. That's why it's hard being a good teammate, but everyone has that choice.