I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing.

Abdul-Jabbar frames success less as a product of spectacular moments than of disciplined judgment under pressure. The emphasis on “the right thing at the right time” points to situational awareness—reading the game, anticipating consequences, and choosing high-percentage actions rather than chasing highlight plays. By stressing that the decisive acts are often “little things,” he elevates fundamentals (positioning, timing, unselfish decisions, preparation) as the hidden margin between outcomes that look, from the outside, like luck or momentum. The quote also generalizes beyond basketball: in work and life, small, well-timed choices compound, and reliability in details often separates consistent winners from talented underachievers.