Michael Jordan is God disguised as a basketball player. — Larry Bird
Basketball is one of those rare opportunities where you can make a difference, not only for yourself, but for other people as well. — Bill Walton
There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100% — Masai Ujiri
Meadowlark was the most sensational, awesome, incredible basketball player I've ever seen. — Wilt Chamberlain
Basketball doesn't build character it reveals it. — James Naismith
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
I play basketball on Sundays and I'm a very spiritual guy; I read a lot of Eastern philosophy and I meditate. — Garry Shandling
Basketball is a beautiful game when the five players on the court play with one heartbeat. — Dean Smith
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
He could be dominant - if he played in the WNBA. — Shaquille O'Neal
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
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
The Big Valbowski is a lot like a Hakeem Olajuwan, either he's taking the hook shot from the outside or driving down the lane on the inside, he always scores! — Val Venis
I'm not playing for other people; if I start thinking in those terms I would put too much pressure on myself. I play basketball because that is what I love to do. — Jeremy Lin
I have worked out with the Thunder, Lakers, Knicks, Grizzlies, Spurs, and a few others before the draft. I have worked out primarily against shorter and supposedly faster players in these workouts. — Jeremy Lin
Short Basketball Player Quotes
To put it another way, Michael Jordan was a gym rat. — Frank Shorter
Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport. — James Naismith
Blending the talents of your team members is crucial to basketball success. — John Kundla
This is where young players today want to land. They want to be NBA players because of the money. — Oscar Robertson
When I’m away from basketball, I hang out with my friends, chill, and that’s about it. — Kawhi Leonard
I'm not a big sports fan, but I love it when they "slam dunk." That's sexy. — Emma Bunton
Obviously the thing that's cool about games - a basketball game is just a basketball game. — Jensen Huang
People know me, and want to know me, as a baller more than anything else. — Jermaine Dupri
Top 10 Basketball Player Quotes
I'm never satisfied. I'm always trying to get better and learn from my mistakes. — Russell Westbrook
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
Talent is never enough. With few exceptions the best players are the hardest workers. — Magic Johnson
A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are. — Ara Parseghian
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
On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams players hold players accountable — Joe Dumars
Basketball Player Image Quotes
It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy.
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.
Nba Basketball Player Quotes
If you quit ONCE it becomes a habit.Never quit!!! — Michael Jordan
I learned at a young age to dribble with both hands, and that allows me to be more creative when I go against bigger and stronger opponents. — Steve Nash
Mick Jagger is in better shape than far too many NBA players. It's up in the air whether the same can be said of Keith Richards. — Bill Walton
Of course, my father was a soccer player. He used to play very good. Then I was young, eight or nine years, ten years old, I just want to be like my father.
Your best players have to unite and inspire the group... otherwise, they'll divide the group — Jeff Van Gundy
Discipline is the greatest form of love you can show someone. Great players crave discipline — Tom Izzo
A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you're going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player. — Jason Kidd
You don't win games as a coach during games. You win games as a coach before games. Players win during games, not coaches — Red Auerbach
You must have your player's heads and hearts before they will do anything for you — Lawrence Frank
Every time you compete, try harder to improve on your last performance. Give nothing short of your very best effort. — Elgin Baylor
Michael Jordon may have been the best basketball player in history, but he couldn't have won six NBA titles without a team. — Mark E. Hyman
Nba Player Quotes
My dream was to be in the NBA. I wasn't really focused on being a star player on a team. I just wanted to make it to the NBA. I've been blessed for the opportunities to be in the Finals, been in the playoffs ever since I've been in the NBA. — James Harden
The greatest compliment to any player is he is a great teammate. We can't all be great players, but we can all be great teammates — Jay Bilas
Coaches win practices, players win games — Pete Carril
Footwork is one of the primary prerequisites to becoming a great player — Mike Krzyzewski
Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement for the achievement of the group. It enhances everybody. — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Your best player has to set a tone of intolerance for anything that gets in the way of winning — Jeff Van Gundy
It just feels good to say we're the best team in the world, with the best player in the world. — Klay Thompson
One player's selfish attitude can poison a locker room and make it hard, if not impossible, to establish team work — Dean Smith
I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. — Michael Jordan
The players I respected most were the toughest players, not those who talked a good game or blocked a shot and acted like a fool. — Jay Bilas
Basketball Team Quotes
Mental Toughness is doing the right thing for the team when it's not the best thing for you. — Bill Belichick
Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We. — Phil Jackson
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
If what you have done yesterday still looks big to you. You haven't done much today. — Mikhail Gorbachev
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
The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot. — Bill Russell
A team divided against itself can break down at any moment. The least bit of pressure or adversity will crack it apart — Bill Parcells
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
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
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
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
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
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
The most important thing in coaching is communication. It's not what you say as much as what they absorb. — Red Auerbach
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
Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. — Stevie Wonder
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
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
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
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
Basketball Game Quotes
The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I’d made my teammates play. — Bill Russell
I play every game like it's my last game. All that matters is that you go out there and play every game as if it was your last. — Allen Iverson
Basketball is a pretty simple game. What wins is consistency and competitiveness. — Gregg Popovich
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
I thought we were aggressive across the board defensively, and you could just see it grow. As the game went along, you could see the confidence grow. It showed in the fourth quarter. — Bill Laimbeer
It always amazes me that spectators want to coach, coaches want to officiate, and officials just want to watch the game — Lou Holtz
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
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
You don't just be a team. You become a team. Through tough games you find that you need each other — Mike Krzyzewski
If Kyle Korver blocks your shot there should be a penalty box you should go to! — Jeff Van Gundy
Basketball Training Quotes
If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it. — Michael Jordan
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
Great Basketball Quotes
Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered. — Bill Russell
I asked them if it wasn't too much trouble, if I wasn't being too pushy, if they could execute what we were trying to do. And if it didn't make them too angry, if they also wanted to play some defense on the other end, that would be great. — Gregg Popovich
To do the right thing at the right season is a great art. — Helio Gracie
What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it. — Dean Smith
The stats win nothing. I'm still sexy. I'm still great. — Shaquille O'Neal
The more honor and self-respect among players, the greater the team. — Frosty Westering
Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team. — Scottie Pippen
Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character. — William Arthur Ward
The secret is to have eight great players and four others who will cheer like crazy. — Jerry Tarkanian
I played in Joe Louis in a playoff game. I played there when the roof caved in for half a season. The facility is great for basketball because it goes straight up, so you feel like the fans are on top of you. — Bill Laimbeer
Basketball Life Quotes
We should do three things every day of our life. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought. And, number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears. — Jim Valvano
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
In life, winning and losing will both happen. What is never acceptable is quitting. — Magic Johnson
I believe that the measure of a person's life is the affect they have on others. — Steve Nash
First off, I'd like to thank God for changing my life. It let me really realize what life is all about. Basketball is just a platform for me to inspire people, and I realize that. — Kevin Durant
A leader's job is to develop committed followers. Bad leaders destroy their followers' sense of commitment. — Dean Smith
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
Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success. — Pablo Picasso
The number one problem that keeps people from winning in the United States today is lack of belief in themselves. — Arthur L. Williams, Jr.
If you do the work you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life. — Michael Jordan
The weird thing about rap is that you don't get compared in the same way that athletes do, even though it's probably the most competitive sport in music. In basketball, they look at a player and say: 'This guy was the best in his prime at this sport.' But in rap it's not until you're dead or retired that people think about it like that. — Chance the Rapper
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
No player in the NBA was born wanting to play basketball. The desire to play ball or to read must be planted. The last 25 years of research show that reading aloud to a child is the oldest, cheapest and must successful method of instilling that desire. Shooting baskets with a child creates a basketball player; reading to a child creates a reader. — Jim Trelease
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
I've always considered myself a crunch-time player. I just love having the ball in my hands. Everyone in the arena knows the ball is supposed to be in your hands and you still make it. It's the odds. I love the odds. — Reggie Miller
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
Magic Johnson, former basketball player, may run for mayor of L.A. in the next election. Remember the good 'ol days when only qualified people ran for office like actors and professional wrestlers. — Jay Leno
Everywhere I've been, I've been the best player. I love being a leader, and I love being the best. I just want to get better. It's not about being cocky or selfish or anything like that. It's just how I am. — LeBron James
A person really doesn't become whole, until he becomes a part of something that's bigger than himself. — Jim Valvano
Recognize and reward players who put the team first, not just the gifted ones. — Don Meyer
College coaches measure success in championships. High School coaches measure success to titles. Youth coaches measure success in smiles. — Paul McAllister
Teams that play together beat those with superior players who play more as individuals. — Jack Ramsay
I'm looking for players who make their teammates better. You do that with enthusiasm and passion. — Mike Krzyzewski
Help your players to control their emotions - do this through example. — Norm Sloan
He credited his teammates, who he thanked in turn, with challenging him every day and driving him forward and making him a better player. — Stephen Curry
In Conclusion
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