Basketball Quotes
Welcome to Basketball Quotes. Here you will find famous quotes and quotations about it.
Basketball Quotes and Quotations
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
A guy who gives you less than what he has to give is, one, telling you what he thinks of you, and two, telling you what he thinks of himself.~Basketball Quote by Pete Carill (born July, 1930)
A particular shot or way of moving the ball can be a player's personal signature, but efficiency of performance is what wins the game for the team.~Pat Riley
A winner is someone who recognizes his God- given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.~Larry Bird
Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. ~ John Wooden
Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.~Michael Jordan
Any American boy can be a basketball star if he grows up, up, up.~Bill Vaughn
As far as carrying the torch for the years to come, I don’t know. I just want to be the best basketball player I can be.~Kobe Bryant (born August, 1978) quote
Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.~ Magic Johnson
Basketball doesn't build character it reveals it.~ Unknown
Basketball is like photography, if you don't focus, all you have is the negative.~Basketball Quote by Dan Frisby
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
Basketball is the MTV of sports.~Sara Levinson
Basketball is the one sport that can truly be influenced by one man. Baseball and football can't, and hockey no one understands anyway. ~ Pat Williams
Basketball teams, after the perfunctory lay-up drill, fall into the crowded isolation and personal style of 10 city kids shooting at the same basket or playing one-on-one.~Ted Solotaroff
Basketball Quotes and Quotations
Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.~Ogden Nash
Be strong in body, clean in mind, lofty in ideals.~James Naismith (November, 1861 - November, 1939) Inventor of Basketball
Because I want every kid to be viewed as a person rather than as a member of a certain race does not mean that I'm not black enough. . . . Do they want me to be positive just for black kids and negative for everybody y else?~Michael Jordan
Being a part of success is more important than being personally indispensable.~Pat Riley
Charles and I go back since college. None of us thought this would happen, we just wanted to play basketball. This is the highest honor that can ever be paid, and it’s mind-blowing.~ Dominique Wilkins
Criticize on defense and encourage on offense.~Basketball Quote by John Brady
Don’t let what other people think decide who you are.~Dennis Rodman (born May, 1961) quote
Everybody on a championship team doesn’t get publicity, but everyone can say he’s a champion.~Magic Johnson (born August, 1959) Basketball Quote
Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath.~Wilt Chamberlain (August, 1936 - October, 1999) Basketball Quote
Everything happens for a reason. I’m used to it, I prepare for it. Like I say, at the end of the day, those in charge of their own destiny are going to do what’s right for them and their family.~Basketball Quote by Shaquille O’Neal
Everything negative – pressure, challenges – are all an opportunity for me to rise. ~Kobe Bryant
Fans never fall asleep at our games, because they're afraid they might get hit by a pass.~George Raveling
From nobody to upstart. From upstart to contender. From contender to winner. From winner to champion. From champion to Dynasty.~Pat Riley
Giving Magic the basketball is like giving Hitler an army, Jesse James a gang, or Genghis Khan a horse.~Jim Murray, about Earvin Johnson
Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.~Tim Duncan (born April, 1976) Basketball Quote
Basketball Quotes and Quotations
Great effort springs naturally from a great attitude.~Pat Riley
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.~Michael Jordan Motivational Quote
I didn’t so much think I needed to address the shooting need. What we needed was somebody who could come in and play the two-three (shooting guard-small forward) spot. If he could’ve been a pure shooter, great. But if not, we still needed somebody to give us minutes there. I like the guys we’ve got.~ Joe Dumars
I don’t hate anyone, at least not for more than 48 minutes, barring overtime.~ Charles Barkley
I don't try to get players emotionally up for a game; it creates too many peaks and valleys... I strive for even keel; they will get up for the big games.~Denny Crum (born March, 1937) Basketball Quote
I hate it. It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air.~Norm Sloan, on zone defense
I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot .. and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed.~Micheal Jordan quote
I haven't been able to slam-dunk the basketball for the past five years. Or, for the thirty-eight years before that, either.~Dave Barry
I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me . . . Failure always made me try harder next time.~Michael Jordan Basketball Quote
I liked the choreography, but I didn't care for the costumes.~Tommy Tune, on why he never considered playing basketball
I look at the NBA as a football game without the helmet.~Tom Tolbert
I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result. ~Basketball Quote by Michael Jordan
I never thought a role model should be negative.~Michael Jordan Basketball Quote
I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.~ Michael Jordan
I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing. ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
I used a lot of visualization in terms of who I would be guarding and who would be guarding me. When I was walking down the street for, say, lunch, I’d imagine those individuals in front of me. I’d imagine going around them.~Isaiah Thomas (born Apri, 1961) quote
I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.~Basketball Quote by Micheal Jordan (born February, 1963)
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.~Basketball Quote by Kobe Bryant
I’ve never been afraid to fail~ Michael Jordan
If all I'm remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I've done a bad job with the rest of my life. ~ Isiah Thomas
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More Quotes on Basketball
If people around you aren't going anywhere, if their dreams are no bigger than hanging out on the corner, or if they're dragging you down, get rid of them. ~ Earvin Magic Johnson
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
If the NBA were on channel 5 and a bunch of frogs making love was on channel 4, I'd watch the frogs even if they were coming in fuzzy.~Bobby Knight
If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome. ~Michael Jordan Basketball Quote
If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!~Charles Barkley Basketball Quote
If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.~Pat Riley
If you look up the definition of greatness in the dictionary, it will say Michael Jordan.~ Elgin Baylor
If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball.~Phil Jackson
If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.~Michael Jordan
If you want team play, you must stress defense. Defense makes players unselfish. ~John Brady (born September, 1954) quote
In all the research you do as a coach, studying other coaches and championship-type situations, you find that all those teams combined talent with great defense. You’ve got to stop other teams to win.~Pat Riley quote
It is most difficult, in my mind, to separate any success, whether it be in your profession, your family, or as in my case, in basketball, from religion. ~ John Wooden
It’s what you get from games you lose that is extremely important.~Pat Riley (born March 1945) Basketball Quote
I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.~Michael Jordan motivational quote
I've had enough success for two lifetimes, My success is talent put together with hard work and luck. ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
I've never been afraid to fail.~Michael Jordan quote
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game~ Michael Jordan
Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness.~ Greg Anderson
Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God’s way to say nobody’s perfect.~ Shaquille O’Neal
Michael, if you can’t pass, you can’t play.~Coach Dean Smith to Michael Jordan (when he was at UNC)
Morale and attitude are the fundamentals to success.~Bud Wilkinson motivational quote
My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength. ~Basketball Quote by Michael Jordan
My greatest gift that I have in life is basketball.~ Isiah Thomas
My heroes are and were my parents. I can't see having anyone else as my heroes. ~Michael Jordan quote
My responsibility is getting all my players playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back.~Basketball Quote Unknown
Never mistake activity for achievement.~John Wooden (born October, 1910) Basketball Quote
Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball.~Phil Jackson Basketball Quote
Nothing there but basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.~Ogden Nash
Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.~Motivational Quote by Michael Jordan
One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.~Basketball Quote by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born April, 1947)
People ask me if I could fly, I said, yeah.... for a little while.~Michael Jordan quotation
People who create 20% of the results will begin believing they deserve 80% of the rewards.~Pat Riley
Practice to beat the best.~Basketball Quote by Dick Bennett
Prepare for every game like you just lost your last game.~Basketball Quote by Lon Kruger (born August, 1952)
Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.~ Larry Bird
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen. ~Michael Jordan
Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.~Scottie Pippen (born September, 1965) quote
Systems win! Believe in your system, and then sell it to your players.~Billy Donovan (born May, 1965) Basketball Quote
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.~ Michael Jordan
The first time I shot the hook, I was in fourth grade, and I was about five feet eight inches tall. I put the ball up and felt totally at ease with the shot. I was completely confident it would go in and I've been shooting it ever since.~Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The good part about being famous is being able to help people. The hard part is every day you have to be in a good mood, because that is what people expect. You learn to get good at it.~Michael Jordan
The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.~Bill Russell
The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. Those boys simply would not play Drop the Handkerchief.~James Naismith
The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not. ~ Charles Barkley
The rule was No autopsy, no foul.~Stewart Granger, on the pickup games of his childhood
There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles. Most of the time, those players aren't willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.~Basketball Quote by Michael Jordan
There are really only two plays: Romeo and Juliet, and put the darn ball in the basket.~Abe Lemons
There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I feel if I play my game, it will take care of itself.~ LeBron James
There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.~ Derek Jeter
There's no such thing as coulda, shoulda, or woulda. If you shoulda and coulda, you woulda done it.~Pat Riley
These are my new shoes. They're good shoes. They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me. They'll only make you have shoes like me. That's it.~Charles Barkley
This is the second most exciting indoor sport, and the other one shouldn't have spectators.~Dick Vertleib
To be great we need to win games we aren't supposed to win. ~ Julius Erving
To win, you've got to put the ball in the macramé.~Terry McGuire
We are in the business of kicking butt and business is very, very good.~ Charles Barkley
We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors.~Weldon Drew
We try to stress the little things because little things lead to big things.~Steve Alford (born November, 1964) quote
We're shooting 100 percent - 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from the free-throw line.~Norm Stewart
What is so fascinating about sitting around watching a bunch of pituitary cases stuff a ball through a hoop?~Woody Allen, Annie Hall
What you specifically teach is what your players will do best.~Dick Bennett (born April, 1943) Basketball Quote
When I dunk, I put something on it. I want the ball to hit the floor before I do.~Darryl Dawkins
When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro. ~Larrry Bird
When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team.~George Raveling
When it's played the way is spozed to be played, basketball happens in the air; flying, floating, elevated above the floor, levitating the way oppressed peoples of this earth imagine themselves in their dreams.~John Edgar Wideman
You always have to give 100%,because if you don’t someone, somewhere will give 100% and they will beat you when you meet.~Basketball Quote by Ed Macauley (born March, 1928)
You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.~Michael Jordan Basketball Quote
You can run a lot of plays when your X is twice as big as the other guys' O. It makes your X's and O's pretty good.~Paul Westphal
You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.~Jerry West (born May, 1938) Basketball Quote
You don't play against opponents. You play against the game of basketball.~Bobby Knight
You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go . . . Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body.~Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them~ Michael Jordan Quotes
You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you’ll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.~Larry Bird Basketball Quote
Your ability to communicate to your young people will determine your success. ~Basketball Quote by Jim Harrick (born July, 1938)