•  Milwaukee guard Brandon Jennings, before the Heat-Bucks series: “I’m sure everybody is writing us off, but I see us winning the series in six.”

•  Milwaukee forward Mike Dunleavy, asked before the series if the Bucks had any matchup advantages against the Heat: “Our 15th guy, Joel Pryzbilla, is 7-1. They have no one 7-1. [To win], LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh would need to shoot poorly. Erik Spoelstra would need to oversleep and miss a couple games. Where do you begin?”

•  Mario Chalmers, after Game 2 of the Bulls series was marred by flagrant fouls and ejections: “We got guys that are going to get cheap shots every night — LeBron, Dwyane, Chris. Us, we want to get a cheap shot back.”

•  LeBron, during the Bulls series: “I don’t need to flop. I’ve never been one of those guys.” Two weeks later, the NBA fined him $5,000 for flopping against the Pacers.

•  TNT’s Charles Barkley, before the Heat-Pacers series: “I like the Pacers in six. Roy Hibbert and David West are going to be good every game because they’re shooting over a load of munchkins.”

•  Pacers center Roy Hibbert, after Shane Battier’s knee hit Hibbert’s midsection while Battier was driving to the basket: “That wasn’t inadvertent. Battier knew what he was doing. You don’t shoot with your knee by your nipple unless you’re trying to do something. … I don’t want to look back and say I gave into a dirty player.”

•  Pacers guard George Hill, after a LeBron offensive eruption: “The one person scarier than LeBron James is God.”

•  NBA Commissioner David Stern, after Chris Andersen pushed Tyler Hansbrough in Game  5 of the Pacers series: “I don’t know what he was doing. A serious review of his activities is called for.” (Birdman was suspended for a game.)

•  Erik Spoelstra, after the Pacers forced the Heat to a deciding game: “We’re not above a Game 7. It’s not a failure. We’re not above having to earn it.”

•  Battier, after not playing in Game  7 of the Pacers series: “Every now and then, you’ve got to eat a turd sandwich. Eat a turd sandwich, that ribeye really tastes good next time.”

•  LeBron, after a 113-77 Game 3 loss to the Spurs: “It was a good old butt kicking. I’ve got to be better. It’s that simple. I’m not doing my part.”

•  Wade, after his 32-point eruption in Game  4 of The Finals: “It was good to see myself back on the floor again.”

•  ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser: “LeBron is going to be thought of as Wilt Chamberlain, a guy who was a great individual player but could not influence his team to win.”

•  Ray Allen, after his game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds of Game  6: “You talk about the magnitude of the situation. That’s something I’ll think about, other people will talk about, forever.”

•  LeBron, on stage after winning the championship: “I can’t worry about what everybody says about me. I’m LeBron James from Akron, Ohio, from the inner city. I’m not even supposed to be here.”

•  LeBron, in his post-Finals news conference: “This team is amazing. And the vision that I had when I decided to come here is all coming true. I’m happy to be part of such a first-class organization.”

•  Wade, after winning his third championship: “This is the sweetest one by far, because of everything we’ve been through, everything I’ve been through. I talked to my knees today — I said, ‘Listen, both of you guys. Y’all can give me one great game, you’ll have a great summer.’ ”

•  ABC’s Bill Simmons, during the playoffs: “Shane Battier can just no longer play.” … Battier, after making 6 of 8 three-pointers in Game 7 of the Finals: “Reports of my demise were premature.”

Heat president Pat Riley, after the Heat won the title: “I just want this thing to keep going. I’m at an age right now [68] where I am ready to just fly off somewhere. But I am not going to because the Good Lord has blessed me with a team that’s allowed me to grab on to its coattails for as long as they want to be together.”