Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills by grade, books, teaching tools, basketball jokes, guest blogs, basketball quotes, and so much.

• 365 Basketball Quotes

Google Search “Basketball Quotes”

1. “I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody – somewhere – was practicing more than me.” Larry Bird
2. “There are 86,400 seconds in a day. It’s up to you to decide what to do with them.” Jim Valvano
3. “I always keep a ball in the car. You never know.” Hakeem Olajuwon
4. “If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will.” Kobe Bryant
5. “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.“ Michael Jordan
6. “Be a dreamer. If you don’t know how to dream, you’re dead.” Jim Valvano
7. “I believe you win games by what you do from your first practice until your first game.” Dr. Jack Ramsay
8. “Make each day your masterpiece.” Coach John Wooden
9. “Bad shooters are always open.” Pete Carril
10. “You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” Jerry West
11. “What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player.” Coach John Wooden
12. “Success is a result of consistent practice of winning skills and actions. There is nothing miraculous about the process. There is no luck involved.” Bill Russell
13. “Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” Michael Jordan
14. “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.“ Tim “The Big Fundamental” Duncan
15. “Be led by your dreams not by your problems.” Roy Williams
16. “Basketball is a lifelong game. You continue to learn from the game day in and day out, and all along the way, you get better.” Scottie Pippen
17. “Some say you have to use your five best players, but I found out you win with the five that fit together best as a team.” Red Auerbach
18. “All the successful teams I’ve ever seen have three characteristics: They play unselfish, they play together, and they play hard.“ Larry Brown
19. “Teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one.” Mike Krzyzewski
20. “If all I’m remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I’ve done a bad job with the rest of my life.” Isiah Thomas
21. “Winning teams at the NBA level, the college level, and the high school level all play team basketball. Championship teams have five players on the same page at all times.“ Hubie Brown
22. “Do the little things right to reach the big goals.” Tom Izzo
23. “If you’re not talking, you’re not playing defense.” Doc Rivers
24. “My goal is to win the next game one possession at a time. That’s it. I don’t have any other goals.” Brad Stevens
25. “The more concerned we become over the things we can’t control, the less we will do with the things we can control.” John Wooden
26. “We believe in people executing their role and caring about the team more than anything individually.” Gregg Popovich
27. “It’s OK to make mistakes. That’s how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
28. “You have a choice to make when you’re not playing. Either you’re invested and a great teammate, or your not” Brad Stevens
29. “Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them.” Carmelo Anthony
30. “Sometimes a player’s greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.” Scottie Pippen
31. “Everyone is born with a certain potential. You may never achieve your full potential, but how close you come depends on how much you want to pay the price.“ Red Auerbach
32. “A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness.” Jason Kidd
33. “My most prized possession was my library card from the Oakland Public Library.” Bill Russell
34. “Everything negative — pressure, challenges — are all an opportunity for me to rise.“ Kobe Bryant
35. “My belief is stronger than your doubt.” Dwyane Wade
36. “If I am through learning, I am through.” Coach John Wooden
37. “The key is not the ‘will to win’… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” Bob Knight (Bob Knight Quotes)
38. “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” John Wooden
39. “Great effort springs naturally from great attitude.” Pat Riley
40. “Winning is overemphasized. The only time it is really important is in surgery and war.” Al McGuire
41. “Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.” Shaquille O’Neal
42. “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” Kevin Durant
43. “You can’t always be the most talented or gifted person in the room, but you can be the most competitive.“ Pat Summit
44. “Every season is a journey. Every journey is a lifetime.” Mike Krzyzewski
45. “There is a lot of basketball beyond our control, but a player should never let anyone try harder than he does.” Dean Smith
46. “If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!“ Charles Barkley “The Round Mound of Rebound”
47. “I just hope to make a difference.” Tim Duncan
48. “Not only is there more to life than basketball, there’s a lot more to basketball than basketball.” Phil Jackson
49. “In developing teams, I don’t believe in rules. I believe in standards. Rules don’t promote teamwork, standards do.” Mike Krzyzewski
50. “Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.“ Magic Johnson
51. “It is foolish to expect a young man to follow your advice and to ignore your example.” Don Meyer
52. “Young men need more models, not critics.” John Wooden (John Wooden Quotes)
53. “There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either in, or you’re out. There’s no such thing as ‘life in-between’.” Pat Riley
54. “It takes three things to be a ‘special’ player: talent, character, and competitive fire.” Kevin Eastman
55. “Create unselfishness as the most important team attribute.” Bill Russell
56. “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.” — John Wooden
57. “A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.” Larry Bird
58. “Those to whom defense is not important will have the best seat in the game.” Rick Majerus
59. “I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.” Larry Bird “The Hick from French Lick” (Larry Bird Quotes)
60. “We want men here, not just players. Players are a dime a dozen” Tom Izzo
61. “Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.” Bill Russell (Top 6 Bill Russell Quotes)
62. “Preparation will be my separation.” Kevin Eastman
63. “I’m still waiting for perfection. In the meantime, I’ll settle for persistence.” Bo Ryan
64. “In basketball—as in life—true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way.” Phil Jackson
65. “I know that I’m never as good or bad as any single performance. I’ve never believed my critics or my worshippers, and I’ve always been able to leave the game at the arena.” Charles Barkley
66. “No matter what, no matter how I feel, I always bring effort.” Draymond Green
67. “Heart is what separates the good from the great.” Michael Jordan
68. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Coach John Wooden
69. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” John Wooden
70. “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” John Wooden
71. “Shooting percentage is just as much about decision making as it is about technique” Jeff Van Gundy Post: How to Be a Great Basketball Shooter
72. “Winners are not people who do not fail, but people who never quit.“ Anonymous
73. “The only important statistic is the final score.” Bill Russell
74. “Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.” Julius Erving
75. “The ‘big time’ is not a place; it’s the state of your heart. It’s not something you get; it’s something you become.” Frosty Westering
76. “I don’t believe in luck, I believe in preparation.” Bob Knight
77. “I have a plan of action, but the game is a game of adjustments.” Mike Krzyzewski
78. “Hard work breeds self-respect.” Coach Pat Summitt
79. “When a gifted team dedicates itself to unselfish trust and combines instinct with boldness and effort–it is ready to climb.“ Pat Riley
80. “Winners are not born, they are self-made.” Coach Pat Summitt
81. “A key basketball skill is imagery. The best players “see” situations before they happen so they can be prepared.” Dr. Jack Ramsay
82. “The one thing I learned about myself going back and watching tapes of all the losses that we’ve had is that I’m physically capable of doing this and dominating the game, but the mental part was not there. I don’t know if it comes with age, but I had to learn to be mentally tough.” Lisa Leslie
83. “You don’t play against opponents, you play against the game of basketball.” Bobby Knight (Bob Knight Quotes)
84. “Trust The Process.” Joel Embiid
85. “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” John Wooden
86. “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” Ann Landers
87. “There is a direct correlation between the number of ball reversals and defensive breakdowns.” Kevin Eastman
88. “My confidence level never varies.” Trae Young
89. “I don’t let the pressure get to me. I embrace it and use it as motivation.” – Luka Doncic
90. “If it turns out that my best wasn’t good enough, at least I won’t look back and say that I was afraid to try.” Michael Jordan
91. “Always stay true to yourself. Some people will like it, some people won’t. Life goes on.” Carmelo Anthony
92. “The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not.” Charles Barkley
93. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” Michael Jordan
94. “Success is a result of consistent practice of winning skills and actions. There is nothing miraculous about the process. There is no luck involved.” Bill Russell
95. “Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” Michael Jordan
96. “Bottom line, you’re either a risk taker, or you’re not, and if you don’t take risks, you’ll never win big.” Geno Auriemma
97. “One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
98. “I think, team first. It allows me to succeed, it allows my team to succeed.“ Lebron James
99. “When I walked into the gym, I fell in love with the game. I didn’t fall in love with it just because it was me playing. I fell in love with it because I’ve got guys like this – like these guys every single day that push me to be the best that I can be.” Kevin Durant
100. “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.” Kobe Bryant
101. “Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.” Bill Russell
102. “There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I feel if I play my game, it will take care of itself.” Lebron James
103. “Admit to and make yourself accountable for mistakes. How can you improve if you’re never wrong?” Pat Summitt
104. “The greatness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive. The weakness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive.” Phil Jackson
105. “I can’t stand a ballplayer who plays in fear. Any fellow who has a good shot has got to take it and keep taking it. So he misses – so what?” Red Auerbach
106. “I know that I’m never as good or bad as any single performance. I’ve never believed my critics or my worshippers, and I’ve always been able to leave the game at the arena.” Charles Barkley
107. “Never give up. Failure and rejection are just the first steps to succeeding.” Jim Valvano
108. “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.” Jim Valvano
109. “I hate to lose more than I like to win.” Larry Bird
110. “I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.“ Michael Jordan
111. “You can’t win unless you learn how to lose.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
112. “Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.” Michael Jordan
113. “You have to be able to accept failure to get better.” LeBron James
114. “It’s not about proving them wrong. It’s about proving myself right.” Jimmy Butler
115. “I’m not afraid of anything.” Jayson Tatum
116. “Despite the fear, finish the job.” Kobe Bryant
117. “Never let fear hold you back from pursuing your dreams.” Candace Parker
118. “It’s a collective effort.” Nikola Jokic
119. “It comes down to preparation.” Damian Lillard
120. “Be yourself. It’s the most important part of anything that you do.” Russell Westbrook
121. “I don’t play to sweat, I play to win.” Kevin Garnett
122. “The most important thing is team morale.” Dean Smith
123. “With the absence of pressure, it’s hard to do great things.” Geno Auriemma
124. “If you have a dream, chase it no matter what it takes.” James Harden
125. “Everything is habit forming, so make sure what you do is what you want to be doing.” Wilt Chamberlain
126. “I wouldn’t limit myself to nothing. I feel like I am limitless.” Devin Booker
127. “I treated it like every day was my last day with a basketball.” LeBron James
128. “I never let anybody else put limits on my game.”Ja Morant
129. “Make it happen.” Michael Jordan
130. “Most of basketball is in the mind. But it helps to have big hands.” Scottie Pippen
131. “I got the ‘sky’s the limit’ tattoo, so it’s for sure that.” Lamelo Ball
132. “Winning is motivation.” Kawhi Leonard
133. “I don’t care if I miss 100 shots in a row. I’m never gonna stop shooting the ball.” Klay Thompson
134. “When I set a goal, I work hard to achieve it.” Lisa Leslie
135. “The measure of who we are is how we react to something that doesn’t go our way.” Gregg Popovich
136. “If you’re going to have to beg them to play, it’s not going to work.” Chuck Daly
137. “I am because we are.” Doc Rivers
138. “The best teams play for each other, not with each other.” – Jeff Van Gundy
139. “The game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals, and you can’t let yourself be beaten because of lack of effort.” Michael Jordan
140. “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” – Kobe Bryant
141. “You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed—you’re not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that.” LeBron James
142. “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” Phil Jackson
143. “There can only be one winner, and the rest are losers, but winners know they are winners before the results are in.” Pat Riley
144. “Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.” Bill Russell
145. “My belief is stronger than your doubt.” Dwyane Wade
146. “They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.” Wilt Chamberlain
147. “Your biggest opponent isn’t the other guy. It’s human nature.” Derek Fisher
148. “You win by effort, by commitment, by ambition, by quality, by expressing yourself individually but in the team context.” Doc Rivers
149. “Ask me to steal, block out, sacrifice, lead, dominate, anything. But it’s not what you ask of me; it’s what I ask of myself.” LeBron James
150. “A team will always appreciate a great individual if he’s willing to sacrifice for the group.” Kareem Abdul Jabbar
151. “No one plays this or any game perfectly. It’s the guy who recovers from his mistakes who wins.” Phil Jackson
152. “No one is bigger than the team. If you can’t do things our way, you’re not getting time here, and we don’t care who you are.” Gregg Popovich
153. “Coaches shouldn’t have to push you to work hard. You should push yourself because you want to be a great player.” Bob Knight
154. “Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.” Phil Jackson
155. “Your best player has to set a tone of intolerance for anything that gets in the way of winning.” Jeff Van Gundy

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills by grade, books, teaching tools, basketball jokes, guest blogs, basketball quotes, and so much.

• 365 Funny Basketball Jokes
• (World’s Best Basketball Jokes)

Google Search “Basketball Jokes for Veterans Day”

1. Knock knock?…Who is there?…Boo… Boo Who?… Don’t cry! We have the best basketball jokes for Veterans Day.
2. November 11th: Veterans Day Jokes: Why was David Robinson arrested on Veterans Day?… He shot the basketball.
3. What do you call a really high ranking snack at the Army – Navy Basketball game?… A popcorn colonel. (Memorial Day Jokes & Popcorn Jokes)
4. How is a bag of popcorn at a basketball game like an army?… It has lots of kernels. (Memorial Day Jokes & Veterans Day Jokes & Popcorn Jokes)
5. Why was the Army basketball team get arrested?… They shot the basketball.
6. Why was the Navy basketball team get arrested?… They shot the basketball.
7. Why was the Marine basketball team get arrested?… They shot the basketball.
8. Why was the Air Force basketball team get arrested?… They shot the basketball.
9. Why was the Coast Guard basketball team get arrested?… They shot the basketball.
10. Why did the Army basketball have a ghost on their team?… To add a little team spirit. 
11. Why did the Navy basketball have a ghost on their team?… To add a little team spirit. 
12. Why did the Marine basketball have a ghost on their team?… To add a little team spirit. 
13. Why did the Air Force basketball have a ghost on their team?… To add a little team spirit. 
14. Why did the Coast Guard basketball have a ghost on their team?… To add a little team spirit. 

Youthbasketball123 is a website designed to provide ideas, drills by grade, books, teaching tools, basketball jokes, guest blogs, basketball quotes, and so much.

• Basketball Jokes for Kids
• Coaching 1st Grade Basketball
• Youth Basketball Year
• Youth Basketball By Grade
• Top Basketball Twitter Accounts
• Top Youth Basketball Websites

The goal of teaching 1st grade basketball is to help players improve. A weekly progress chart is a great way for a coach to evaluate the team’s progress. Often at this age, a team will only meet once a week so to have the same routine is easy for the coach and probably best for the players in this age group.

Each week the teams will compete in “AROUND THE WORLD.” Each team will start at one basket and complete one of the drills. The teams will shoot for 1:30. Coaches should record the scores and hopefully see some very good improvement.

There can be competition between the teams to see the high score, but we discourage this at this age level. Tell the team that you want to break the record of last week. Create a team from Ohio that beat your total by TWO! Try to beat THAT team, not the players shooting at the other basketball. With all the hard work throughout the season, we beat the fake Ohio team by the end of the season.

The ultimate goal should be for all the teams to improve the number of made baskets. After completing the drills, have the teams sprint to the next baskets. (This is more fun than shooting for some of the players.)

Shooting Progress Chart

How It Works

1. Divide the team into even groups with at least one adult at a basket.
2. Set up two cones at each basket. Place the cones wide enough for the players to shoot comfortably. All players should shoot from directly between the cones.
3. The coach will rebound and pass it to the next player in line.
4. The coach at each basket will count the made shots.

  5 spots 90 seconds  7:50 plus time for scores Shot

1. Right block bank shot: This is the million dollar shot for this grade. The goal is the ALL the players to make the majority of the shots from this spot.
2. Right wing shot:
3. Straight on shot:
4. Left wing shot:
5. Left Block shot: This is the million dollar shot for this grade. The goal is the ALL the players to make the majority of the shots from this spot.

Additional Spots: I found these spots to be too much. The players seemed to lose focus with 7 spots.

1. Right baseline shot
2. Left corner shot optional

When the around the world shooting is complete, it is a great time to move to