He kept telling me he's ready. But I'm a stubborn old coach.

The demise of Shaquille O'Neal has been greatly exaggerated. I can guarantee you that - and I coach him.

Teams are going to start getting nastier, more competitive and they want it, and they're going to get ready for playoffs. And when they happens you just have to walk away from it and you have to play at a higher level.

Being ready isn't enough; you have to be prepared for a promotion or any other significant change.

All I did from day-to-day is coach. That's what my job was, that's what my passion was, and the fact that now it's something I'm being considered for is just mind-blowing to me, that I would ever be in that kind of company.

If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.