Top Basketball Quotes

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  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. “My belief is stronger than your doubt.” Dwyane Wade
  18. “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
  19. “All the successful teams I’ve ever seen have three characteristics: They play unselfish, they play together, and they play hard.“ Larry Brown
  20. “Teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one.” Mike Krzyzewski
  21. “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
  22. “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
  23. “Do the little things right to reach the big goals.” Tom Izzo
  24. “If you’re not talking, you’re not playing defense.” Doc Rivers
  25. “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
  26. “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
  27. “We believe in people executing their role and caring about the team more than anything individually.” Gregg Popovich
  28. “It’s OK to make mistakes. That’s how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  29. “You have a choice to make when you’re not playing. Either you’re invested and a great teammate, or you’re not.” Brad Stevens
  30. “Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them.” Carmelo Anthony
  31. “Sometimes a player’s greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.” Scottie Pippen
  32. “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
  33. “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
  34. “My most prized possession was my library card from the Oakland Public Library.” Bill Russell
  35. “Everything negative — pressure, challenges — are all an opportunity for me to rise.“ Kobe Bryant
  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
  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