Basketball Quotes

True grit is making a decision and standing by it, doing what must be done.

To do the right thing at the right season is a great art.

In order to achieve to achieve positive results, one must work for them, not hope for them

Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.

What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.

Basketball is a beautiful game when the five players on the court play with one heartbeat.

It's my experience that people rise to the level of their own expectations and of the competition they seek out.

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.

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.

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.

A successful person realizes his personal responsibility for self-motivation. He starts with himself because he possesses the key to his own ignition switch.

To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don't isolate.

Hard work is not punishment. Hard work is the price of admission for the opportunity to reach sustained excellence

It always amazes me that spectators want to coach, coaches want to officiate, and officials just want to watch the game

The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need.

Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.

They shot the ball well early. What comes out of the microwave hot doesn't always stay hot. I know, because I eat bagels in the morning.

Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I'm doing.

I wasn't real quick, and I wasn't real strong. Some guys will just take off and it's like, whoa. So I beat them with my mind and my fundamentals.

I believe that the measure of a person's life is the affect they have on others.

On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams players hold players accountable

What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere.

The key is to maintain an evenness. Try to play one possession at a time, regardless of what happened on the last possession

I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice.

One of the hardest things for a ball player to do is to accept his role

There are some concrete ways to create a winning attitude. But nothing beats practicing it. When you prepare to win, belief comes easily.

You're the only one who can make the difference. Whatever your dream is, go for it.

They say I couldn't play football, I was too small. They say I couldn't play basketball, I wasn't tall. They say I couldn't play baseball at all and now everyday of my life, I ball.

There are many times when you are better off practicing than playing; but most people just don't understand that

You must have respect, which is a part of love, for those under your supervision. Then they will do what you ask and more.

My whole thing is, if you love me, then love me. If you don't, then believe what you hear and run with that.

I want to do for rebounds what Michael Jordan did for dunks.

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.

Champions play as they practice. Create a consistency of excellence in all your habits.

They said you have to use your five best players but I found you win with the five who fit together the best.

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.

I don't have the physical talent those guys have. My hard work has made me very good.

It's important for us, if we're going to be a good team, to be a good defensive team in the fourth quarter.

The stats win nothing. I'm still sexy. I'm still great.

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.

The more honor and self-respect among players, the greater the team.

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.

If i'm not trying my best, I might as well retire.

I haven't been able to slam-dunk the basketball for the past five years. Or, for the thirty-eight years before that, either.

My most memorable moment came in 1985 as we beat the Boston Celtics.

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.

You have a choice to make when you're not playing. Either you're invested and a great teammate, or your not

If I walk in a home and a kid disrespects a woman, his mother or grandmother, then I am out... I wont recruit them

Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.