Yahoo Sports Greivis Vasquez: 'Scottie Pippen was underpaid but people still talk about him because he was a winner'
What was more important to you: winning or money? Greivis Vasquez: I’ve always valued winning. If I had to take a pay cut to win championships, I would do that because I know it will benefit me in the long run. People remember winners more than those who just had a big contract without winning. Look at Scottie Pippen. He was underpaid, but people still talk about him because he was a winner.
Source: HoopsHype
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Who are your Top 5 all-time players? Greivis Vasquez: Well, obviously, the first man is Michael Jordan. I grew up watching him, although I was really young. The reason I like Jordan is that he did it both on and off the floor. But he’s a different breed. His mindset was different. He didn’t want to be like anyone else, not even his peers. If you really understand who MJ was as a player, you can see his competitiveness and how far ahead he was from the rest. There were good players, and there were great players, but at that moment, he was the super great player. The second man, my idol, my hero, and someone who means everything to me, is Kobe Bryant. Unfortunately, he’s no longer with us physically, but his spirit lives on. The Mamba Mentality is a lifestyle. Kobe’s approach, education, and willpower were extraordinary. He’s the definition of a winner. For me, Kobe is even more significant than Michael in terms of lifestyle. He was a different guy. He spoke three or four different languages and even spoke to me in Spanish a few times. Coming from Caracas, Venezuela, and playing against your hero – money can’t buy that. I don’t take that for granted. -via HoopsHype / September 19, 2024
Greivis Vasquez: In the NBA, 90 percent of players are role players. There’s only one LeBron James, one Steph Curry, and a few other superstars. The rest fulfill specific roles. Young players coming into the league shouldn’t focus on being the star, but on what they can bring to the team that’s different from the stars. My career was about fulfilling a role. I never had the chance to play for a team like Golden State, where a role player like Shaun Livingston thrived. But we were similar players, able to run a team. If I had been in the same position as him, I believe I could have done the same thing. You have to understand that most players in the NBA are there to complement the stars, not be the stars themselves. -via HoopsHype / September 19, 2024
Greivis Vasquez: Montrose changed my life for the better. I graduated high school with Kevin Durant, one of my great friends. It was a top basketball program, led by Hall of Fame high school coach Stu Vetter. David Atkins, who coached there, went on to coach Maryland’s women’s team and made the jump to the NBA as a great player development coach. So, Montrose was pivotal in shaping my basketball career. -via HoopsHype / September 19, 2024
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Greivis Vasquez: 'Scottie Pippen was underpaid but people still talk about him because he was a winner'
