[BREAKING] NBA champion John Salley defends dreamers all across America: ‘There’s no excuses’

Through July 4, The Post, along with the Milken Center for the Advancement of the American Dream, will feature American citizens explaining what the American Dream means to them in 2026, including John Salley.

A four-time NBA champion, he grew up in Brooklyn, New York, played college basketball at Georgia Tech while attending the school's College of Business, and became the first player in NBA history to win titles with three franchises: the Detroit Pistons (1989, 1990), the Chicago Bulls (1996) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2000).

My brothers Ron, Will and Jerry were all great athletes, so I had to be an athlete.

I wanted to skateboard and be a rapper.

My brother said, "There are no seven-foot rappers.

And he broke my skateboard...

Ron went to Brooklyn Tech and then Muhlenberg College.

Jerry went to C.W.

Post [later renamed LIU Post].

The school was really pushed in the black community...

but my father didn't pay for college, so the way I got into college was with my athletics.

How you stay in college depends on your intellect.

Studying was never a problem; they always pushed me to study, they always pushed me to be better.

Ten times better than [my] counterparts.

It was important to get an education and figure out how to find your place in this world.

I graduated in industrial management and specialized in marketing, so I know how to market myself.

I met people from other countries who came to the United States; They see it as [the land of] opportunity.

I am a 58-year-old man and I also see opportunities.

And I also see what people use as an excuse.

The unique thing about being in the United States is that there are no excuses [here].

Although there are trials and tribulations, there are ways to fight.

A black American has proven it.

The American dream will not be a nightmare.

It will be a dream.

The American Dream Video Project showcases real stories that illuminate paths to opportunity.

Presented at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD), this series is part of the Center's celebration of America's 250th anniversary.

MCAAD is Washington, DC's newest cultural institution, offering interactive exhibits and stories about achieving the American Dream.

For more information, visit mcaad.org.

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