154 Basketball Success Quotes

Following is our list of basketball success quotations and slogans full of insightful wisdom and perspective about what are good basketball.

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Famous Basketball Success Quotes

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

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

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. - Michael Jordan

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. — Michael Jordan

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

Basketball success quote The planet does not need more "successful people". The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, he
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

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. - Jim Ryun

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. — Jim Ryun

In time, all things work to your advantage when you pursue them with an open heart. — Miyamoto Musashi

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. — Ayn Rand

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

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

A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play. — Mike Krzyzewski

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We did have three go to the YMCA. — Abe Lemons

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

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

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More Basketball Success Quotes

Winners are losers who got up and gave it one more try. - Dennis DeYoung quote

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

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