Basketball is a pretty simple game. What wins is consistency and competitiveness. — Gregg Popovich
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
Blending the talents of your team members is crucial to basketball success. — John Kundla
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 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
Basketball is a beautiful game when the five players on the court play with one heartbeat. — Dean Smith
Basketball doesn't build character it reveals it. — James Naismith
Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball. — Phil Jackson
Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport. — James Naismith
There's more to life than basketball. The most important thing is your family and taking care of each other and loving each other no matter what. — Stephen Curry
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
College coaches measure success in championships. High School coaches measure success to titles. Youth coaches measure success in smiles. — Paul McAllister
Basketball is like war in that offensive weapons are developed first, and it always takes a while for the defense to catch up. — Red Auerbach
The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. — Babe Ruth
Motivational Quotes
You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. — C. S. Lewis
If I have accomplished anything in life it is because I have been willing to work hard. — Madam C. J. Walker
I may not be a role model, but I most definitely could be motivation for a lot of people in the hoods. — Rick Ross
The planet does not need more "successful people". The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lover of all kinds.
No Fear, No Hesitation, No Surprise, No Doubt — Miyamoto Musashi
I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it! Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them. — Madam C. J. Walker
For what it's worth, it's never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you're proud of and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start over. — F. Scott Fitzgerald
Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives - choice, not chance, determines your destiny. — Aristotle
What Are Good Basketball Quotes
A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are. — Ara Parseghian
Everyone is gonna have a bad day, everyone is gonna have a bad game. The questions are: How do you recover? What builds your character? I decided one day early on in high school that I wanted to be great at basketball, not just a good basketball player. — Gilbert Arenas
You know what I always say about basketball whenever anybody tried to tell me the Knicks are gonna be good: They're old. Old people don't get healthy. They die. — Sayings
When you think about what the odds are to have four boys to not only be able to follow in the footsteps in a basketball career but to also be good in the secondary career as far as the broadcasting, it's pretty remarkable. — Rick Barry
Basketball Coach Quotes
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
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
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
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
Basketball Team Quotes
Mental Toughness is doing the right thing for the team when it's not the best thing for you. — Bill Belichick
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
I can't make every decision for you. I don't have 14 timeouts. You guys got to get together and talk — Gregg Popovich
The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot. — Bill Russell
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 Life Quotes
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
Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. — Stevie Wonder
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
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
Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise — Michael Jordan
What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it. — Dean Smith
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
Winning 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
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
To do the right thing at the right season is a great art. — Helio Gracie
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
Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I'm doing. — Phil Jackson
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 stats win nothing. I'm still sexy. I'm still great. — Shaquille O'Neal
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 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
If you quit ONCE it becomes a habit.Never quit!!! — Michael Jordan
Basketball Quotes
Success is not an accident, success is actually a choice. — 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
Every time I rise up, I have confidence that I'm going to make it. — Stephen Curry
The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I’d made my teammates play. — Bill Russell
Wrestling... what men do during boys basketball season. — Dan Gable
Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps. — Tiger Woods
Basketball Motivation 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
If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it. — Michael Jordan
Talent is never enough. With few exceptions the best players are the hardest workers. — Magic Johnson
Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength. — Phil Jackson
The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. — James Naismith
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
I do believe that one way to bring cultures together, to develop trust between people and countries and religions, is through education. And through music and art and basketball and activities and joys that people share worldwide, regardless of ethnic background or religious orientation. — Steve Kerr
Hard work is not punishment. Hard work is the price of admission for the opportunity to reach sustained excellence — Jay Bilas
Champions play as they practice. Create a consistency of excellence in all your habits. — Mike Krzyzewski
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
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
He knew I enjoyed the relationships of college basketball. All along, he was the wise one. — Rick Pitino
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
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
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
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
What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere. — Bill Russell
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
Winning is about having the whole team on the same page. — Bill Walton
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
Winners are losers who got up and gave it one more try. — Dennis DeYoung
Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
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
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
Success is that place in the road where preparation meets opportunity. — Branch Rickey
You don't have to live anybody else's story. — Stephen Curry
Long term success is a direct result of what you achieve everyday. Goals provide your daily routine — Rick Pitino
In the game of basketball, you get around someone so you can get past them. Play this game the same way. You go for the win, you don’t settle for a tie. — Tim Grover
First master the fundamentals. — Larry Bird
Success is a matter of understanding and religiously practicing specific, simple habits that always lead to success. — Robert Ringer
When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win. — Ed Macauley
I'd rather be a non-All-Star playing in the Western Conference finals than an All-Star who's sitting at home in May. — Stephen Curry
Your ability to communicate to your young people will determine your success. — Jim Harrick
Remember, 'Rome was not built in a day.' Instant success is never possible. Competence results only from sustained, consistent, self-disciplined effort over an extended period of time. — Bud Wilkinson
It is not the critic who counts...The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena. — Theodore Roosevelt
Give your dreams all you've got, and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you. — William James
Success is determined by your daily choices and habits — Rick Pitino
The morale and the camaraderie that we had for one another earlier in the year is starting to come under duress because of all the losses. Some of the guys are feeling the pressure now from the last year when they were not successful. — Bill Russell
Basketball is just something else to do, another facet of life. I'm going to be a success at whatever I choose because of my preparation. By the time the game starts, the outcome has been decided. I never think about having a bad game because I have prepared. — David Robinson
Be honest and work hard to get what you want. Don't take shortcuts; you only cheat yourself in the long run. Success is not measured by money or fame, but by how you feel about your own goals and accomplishments and the time and effort you put into them. — Willie Stargell
If you are afraid of failure, you don't deserve success. — Nastia Liukin
I'll never worry about not being successful. I'll just take it one day at a time, one season at a time. And play as hard as I can. — Bo Jackson
I can get better. I haven't reached my ceiling yet on how well I can shoot the basketball. — Stephen Curry
Morale and attitude are the fundamentals to success. — Bud Wilkinson
Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. — Tony Robbins
In Conclusion
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