I've never felt my job was to win basketball games - rather, that the essence of my job as a coach was to do everything I could to give my players the background necessary to succeed in life. — Bobby Knight
Good coaching may be defined as the development of character, personality and habits of players, plus the teaching of fundamentals and team play. — Clair Bee
Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball. — Phil Jackson
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot. — Kobe Bryant
Short Basketball Coach Quotes
A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are. — Ara Parseghian
A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are. — Ara Parasheghian
Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport. — James Naismith
Wrestling... what men do during boys basketball season. — Dan Gable
Michael Jordan is God disguised as a basketball player. — Larry Bird
You build your program from the ideas of great coaches. — Don Meyer
A coach should never be afraid to ask questions of anyone he could learn from. — Bobby Knight
Coaching is not how much you know. It's how much you can get players to do. — Bum Phillips
He knew I enjoyed the relationships of college basketball. All along, he was the wise one. — Rick Pitino
Top 10 Basketball Coach Quotes
Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We. — Phil Jackson
Coaching is making men do what they don't want, so they can become what they want to be — Tom Landry
Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. — Muhammad Ali
If what you have done yesterday still looks big to you. You haven't done much today. — Mikhail Gorbachev
There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. — Pat Riley
Pressure is something you feel when you do not know what you are doing. — Chuck Noll
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
The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot. — Bill Russell
Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise — Michael Jordan
Work hard, stay focused and surround yourself with good people. — Tom Osborne
Basketball Coach Image Quotes
Winning is about having the whole team on the same page. — Bill Walton
A good coach will make his players see what they can become rather than what they are.
College Basketball Coach Quotes
What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it. — Dean Smith
College coaches measure success in championships. High School coaches measure success to titles. Youth coaches measure success in smiles. — Paul McAllister
Everybody in the NBA works on their game. I just tried to follow that lead when I was in high school, college – and now. — Kawhi Leonard
A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, who has you see what you don't want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.
Over coaching is the worst thing you can do to a player. — Dean Smith
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. — John Wooden
If you are not willing to work hard and establish discipline in your life, then all your dreams are merely pipe dreams. — Rick Pitino
A coach is someone who can give correction without resentment.
I don't think you can explain why all these other sports and college basketball have a fair representation of African American coaches, but college football doesn't. You can dig and scramble and scratch, but at the end of the day I think it's just pure, old-fashioned racism. — Frank DeFord
Compare where you are to where you want to be, and you'll get nowhere — Sara Bareilles
A flu shot is the worst thing you can do. — Sayings
For a college basketball player or coach, to reach the Final Four is la-la land. You’ve achieved, you’ve got your stamp of approval. My first team to do that was in 1986. Then we did it in ’88, ’89 and ’90. — Mike Krzyzewski
Greatest Basketball Coach Quotes
Discipline is the greatest form of love you can show someone. Great players crave discipline — Tom Izzo
There is no such thing as life in-between. — Pat Riley
People say it was the greatest individual rivalry they've ever seen. I agree with that. Let me assure you that if either Wilt's or Russ' coach had ever told one of them he couldn't guard the other guy, he would have lost that player forever. — Bill Russell
To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.
I wish to become the greatest player in the world. I want to uphold the honor of India, the USA and of my coach and make basketball a prominent sport in India. — Satnam Singh Bhamara
The greatest sin a coach can commit is to allow kids to slide by. This goes for the classroom as well as the court — Hubie Brown
Even the greatest players accept coaching and value the need for discipline and the order that it brings to the team — Jack Ramsay
The greatest ally you have to get things working well and the players performing as a team is the bench. Don't be afraid to use it, either for the star player or anyone else. — John Wooden
Basketball Team Quotes
Mental Toughness is doing the right thing for the team when it's not the best thing for you. — Bill Belichick
There's a misconception about teamwork. Teamwork is the ability to have different thoughts about things; it's the ability to argue and stand up and say loud and strong what you feel. But in the end, it's also the ability to adjust to what is the best for the team. — Tom Landry
We believe in people executing their role and caring about the team more than anything individually — Gregg Popovich
It's not just about working hard, it's about working together. You have to care more about the team than you do about yourself — John Calipari
If you're struggling with your shooting, then do other things on the basketball court. Get steals, get assists, get rebounds-do anything on the court to help the team win. — Allen Iverson
I can't make every decision for you. I don't have 14 timeouts. You guys got to get together and talk — Gregg Popovich
How good can we expect to be if our best player is not our best teammate — Brad Stevens
A team divided against itself can break down at any moment. The least bit of pressure or adversity will crack it apart — Bill Parcells
The most important thing in coaching is communication. It's not what you say as much as what they absorb. — Red Auerbach
On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams players hold players accountable — Joe Dumars
Basketball Training Quotes
If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it. — Michael Jordan
Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement for the achievement of the group. It enhances everybody. — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. — Michael Jordan
Everyone wants to win, but not everyone is willing to prepare to win. — Bobby Knight
I only weigh 220, so I have to do something to keep from being tossed around by all the guys who weigh 250 and more. I train hard, but I don't try to get too big. — Dennis Rodman
I run in the morning, lift weights in the afternoon, basketball training at night, and then lift weights again at night. — Lil' Romeo
I know, basketball is a dance. I didn't understand the significance of that type of training at first. I was supposed to read poems. — Dirk Nowitzki
Basketball Leadership Quotes
Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. — Stevie Wonder
A leader's job is to develop committed followers. Bad leaders destroy their followers' sense of commitment. — Dean Smith
If Kyle Korver blocks your shot there should be a penalty box you should go to! — Jeff Van Gundy
I didn't get into teaching and coaching for the number of wins or the money. It was a passion for trying to help young people — Bo Ryan
If you don't feel you have something to prove every day, you'll never improve — Billy Donovan
The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment. — William Arthur Ward
I always mean what I say, but I don't always say what I'm thinking. — Dean Smith
Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one. — Bobby Knight
Basketball Player Quotes
I'm never satisfied. I'm always trying to get better and learn from my mistakes. — Russell Westbrook
Deep down, your players must know you care about them. This is the most important thing. I could never get away with what I do if the players feel I didn't care for them. They know, in the long run, I'm in their corner. — Bo Schembechler
Talent is never enough. With few exceptions the best players are the hardest workers. — Magic Johnson
So, yeah, I'm going to try to win the national championship next year. But I'm not going to kill myself doing it. I'm not going to kill my players either. You really start to realize there's a lot more to what we're trying to do then winning games — Geno Auriemma
You're always going to face criticism, you're always going to face challenges, but those things are there to make you stronger and more committed. — David Robinson
What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere. — Bill Russell
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
One of the hardest things for a ball player to do is to accept his role — Scottie Pippen
They said you have to use your five best players but I found you win with the five who fit together the best. — Red Auerbach
The more honor and self-respect among players, the greater the team. — Frosty Westering
Basketball Quotes
You can't measure success if you have never failed. My father has taught me that if you really do want to reach your goals, you can't spend any time worrying about whether you're going to win or lose. Focus only on getting better. — Steffi Graf
Success is not an accident, success is actually a choice. — Stephen Curry
Everything happens for a reason, and everything has a story, and if you take time to realise what your dream is and what you really want in life... whether it's sports, whether it's in other fields, you have to realise that there's always work to do. — Stephen Curry
None of us can change our yesterdays but all of us can change our tomorrows. — Colin Powell
What I tell people is be the best version of yourself in anything that you do. You don't have to live anybody else's story. — Stephen Curry
It's not about any one person. You've got to get over yourself and realize that it takes a group to get this thing done — Gregg Popovich
Whatever pressure I feel all comes from me, from within. I always was that person who was hard on myself and challenged myself no matter what I was doing, whether it was passing third grade or playing basketball. — Kendrick Lamar
Success comes after you conquer your biggest obstacles and hurdles. — Stephen Curry
The only thing even in this world is the number of hours in a day. The difference in winning or losing is what you do with those hours. — Woody Hayes
Every time I rise up, I have confidence that I'm going to make it. — Stephen Curry
Basketball Success Quotes
I'm not the guy who's afraid of failure. I like to take risks, take the big shot and all that. — Stephen Curry
Doesn't matter where you come from, what you have or don't have... All you need to have is faith in God, an undying passion for what you do and what you choose to do in this life, and a relentless drive and the will to do whatever it takes to be successful in whatever you put your mind to. — Stephen Curry
A successful person realizes his personal responsibility for self-motivation. He starts with himself because he possesses the key to his own ignition switch. — Kemmons Wilson
The stats win nothing. I'm still sexy. I'm still great. — Shaquille O'Neal
I do a little sign on the court every time i make a shot or a good pass and i pound my chest and point to the sky - it symbolizes that i have a heart for God. It’s something that my mom and I came up with in college and I do it every time I step on the floor as a reminder of who i’m playing for. — Stephen Curry
Celebration is big for me. From my younger days, when I used to win mementos while playing basketball, I have always believed in sharing my success. It has to be there. It lifts the energy levels of the entire side if you are positive and vocal when a wicket falls. — Suresh Raina
I've never been afraid of big moments. I get butterflies.. I get nervous and anxious, but I think those are all good signs that I'm ready for the moment. — Stephen Curry
If one of our players gets his second foul in the first half, then he must come out of the game and not re-enter until the second half. To play defense and not foul is an art that must be mastered if you are going to be successful. — Chuck Daly
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
Successful programs consist of people working hard, working together, while never worrying about who gets the credit. — Don Meyer
College Basketball Quotes
Practice habits were crucial to my development in basketball. I didn't play against the toughest competition in high school, but one reason I was able to do well in college was that I mastered the fundamentals. You've got to have them down before you can even think about playing. — Larry Bird
I love basketball so much, I love playing it. I just never thought I could make it to college, make it to the NBA or stand up here today in front of you guys and be an NBA MVP. It’s just a surreal feeling, and I had so much help, so many people believe in me when I didn’t believe in myself. — Kevin Durant
The NBA is all about winning, but at this level (college basketball) winning doesn't make you happy. You can win, and play lousy, and in my program, feel lousy. To me it's about: How good can we be. — Geno Auriemma
The caliber of play suffered and attendance declined year by year. Interest in college football was exploding, and there was this new game called basketball. — John Thorn
I told them not to worry about it, since we were going to play indoors. — Jerry Tarkanian
Until my senior year, baseball and basketball were my best sports; and even when I was a senior, I still wanted to play baseball professionally. But the family wanted me to go to college and I guess I agreed with them or else I would have accepted some of the offers I got. — Joe Namath
I think one of the most immoral things is college football and basketball, where everybody is making money except the players. — Frank DeFord
I'll watch the kids play, have a big steak with my friends, stay in a nice hotel, sign a lot of autographs, then go back to Vegas and tell my alumni how tough recruiting is. — Jerry Tarkanian
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
Basketball Court Quotes
I love playing basketball because you could be having a rough day in your life, and while you're on the court it gives you a clear mind. I'm not worried about anything. I'm there just playing freely and I go out there all and I have fun. — Derrick Rose
In the game of basketball, I play first off because I love it. I love to have fun. I love to run up and down the court. — Kevin Durant
If Shakespeare can compare all of life to a stage, maybe it's not odd to believe that part of the play can take place on a basketball court. — Bill Russell
The more things we can get kids to do correctly off the court, the more they will do correctly on the court. — Mike Jarvis
It's important for the young players to practice other ball games as well, basketball or table tennis. On the tennis court, you can improve your eye through a kind of overexertion. — Rafael Nadal
The more your players have to think on the basketball court, the slower their feet get. — Jerry Tarkanian
I'm not comfortable being preachy, but more people need to start spending as much time in the library as they do on the basketball court. — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
When I step on that basketball court, I'm thinking about basketball, I'm thinking about winning - but there's so much that goes into thought about how I'm going to open this game up to others. It's so much more than just basketball. — Carmelo Anthony
You've got to have fun on the court. If you ain't having fun, then basketball ain't fun. — Carmelo Anthony
When I was young, I was sold on winning. I was always serious on the court. As I got older, I realized that it was just a basketball game. Just go out there and have fun. — Carmelo Anthony
The night before my amputation, my former basketball coach brought me a magazine with an article on an amputee who ran in the New York Marathon. It was then I decided to meet this new challenge head on and not only overcome my disability, but conquer it in such a way that I could never look back and say it disabled me. — Terry Fox
Like life, basketball is messy and unpredictable. It has its way with you, no matter how hard you try to control it. The trick is to experience each moment with a clear mind and open heart. When you do that, the game - and life - will take care of itself. — Phil Jackson
Perhaps the toughest call for a coach is weighing what is best for an individual against what is best for the team. Keeping a player on the roster just because I liked him personally, or even because of his great contributions to the team in the past, when I felt some one else could do more for the team would be a disservice to the team's goals. — Tom Landry
To do the right thing at the right season is a great art. — Helio Gracie
Hard work is not punishment. Hard work is the price of admission for the opportunity to reach sustained excellence — Jay Bilas
It always amazes me that spectators want to coach, coaches want to officiate, and officials just want to watch the game — Lou Holtz
You must have respect, which is a part of love, for those under your supervision. Then they will do what you ask and more. — John Wooden
Champions play as they practice. Create a consistency of excellence in all your habits. — Mike Krzyzewski
I love the game of basketball, and as long as I can do that, keep playing and try to get some more championships with the organization, I’ll be happy. — Kawhi Leonard
I can play basketball, run track, and play volleyball, so yeah, I’ve always been an athlete at heart. — Vivica Fox
I always say to my guys, 'The most important day of your life is today. This very minute is the most important of you life. You must win this minute. You must win this day. And tomorrow will take care of itself. — John Chaney
Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt. — Jose Ortega y Gasset
The secret is to have eight great players and four others who will cheer like crazy. — Jerry Tarkanian
If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier. — John Wooden
There are 86,400 seconds in a day. It's up to you to decide what to do with them. — Jim Valvano
When we're playing a good scoring center, we tell our team that it is not our defensive man's job to stop the center. It's the responsibility of our perimeter people to stop the ball from going inside. — Bobby Knight
I continually stress to my players that all I expect from them at practice and in the games is their maximum effort. — John Wooden
The glory of sport is witnessing a well-coached team perform as a single unit, striving for a common goal and ultimately bringing distinction to the jersey the players represent. — Dick Vitale
Never underestimate the heart of a champion. — Rudy Tomjanovich
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