The game of basketball has been everything to me: my refuge, my place I’ve always gone when I needed to find comfort and piece, it has been a source of intense pain and the source of most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction that no one can ever imagine. It’s been a relationship that has evolved over time, it has given me the greatest respect and love for the game. It has provided me with a platform to share my passion with millions in a way I neither expected nor could have imagined in my career. I hope it’s given the millions of people that I have touched the optimism and desire to achieve their goals through hard work, perseverance and positive attitude.

One day you might look up and see me play a game at 50. Don’t laugh. Never say never. Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.

Michael Jordan, Hall of fame 2009 speech