"It's different when you become a professional, because you also have to become a businessman, and that takes something away from it"

This quote by Sugar Ray Leonard speaks with the difficulty of transitioning from an amateur athlete to an expert one. Leonard is suggesting that when you become a professional athlete, you need to take on the additional obligation of being an entrepreneur. This indicates that you have to concentrate on business side of the sport, such as marketing, sponsorships, and agreements, which can eliminate from the pleasure of playing the sport. Leonard is implying that the shift from amateur to expert can be hard because it requires a shift in focus from the sport itself to business side of it. This can be a hard modification for athletes who are used to focusing solely on the sport. Leonard's quote talks to the problem of transitioning from an amateur to a professional athlete, and the requirement to stabilize business side of the sport with the delight of playing it.