Basketball Coach Quotes

• It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.

  John Wooden

  Basketball, Motivational Sports, Courage

  John Wooden, Jack Tobin, Bill Walton (2004). “They Call Me Coach”, McGraw Hill Professional

  45 Copy quote

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  You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.

  Michael Jordan

  Inspirational, Motivational, Happiness

  94 Copy quote

• You don't play against opponents, you play against the game of basketball.

  Bobby Knight

  Basketball, Sports, Athlete

  18 Copy quote
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  I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.

  Michael Jordan

  Inspirational, Motivational, Change

  "I Can't Accept Not Trying : Michael Jordan on the Pursuit of Excellence". Book by Michael Jordan (p. 129), 1994.

  260 Copy quote

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• If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.

  Michael Jordan

  Basketball, Inspiration, Athlete

  39 Copy quote

• I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

  Michael Jordan

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  491 Copy quote

• You'll never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with him.

  Lou Holtz

  Motivational, Basketball, Football

  64 Copy quote

• It's what you get from games you lose that is extremely important.

  Pat Riley

  Basketball, Games, Coaching

  11 Copy quote

• It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.

  John Wooden

  Basketball, Sports, Perseverance

  "The Graduation Speech I Never Got to Give" by Laura Myers, ndsmcobserver.com. May 20, 2011.

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• The secret of winning is working more as a team, less as individuals.

  Knute Rockne

  Basketball, Team, Winning

  50 Copy quote

• Empower the people around you, from the janitor to the athletic director. You do that by being sincere, caring about others, and then putting it into practice.

  Sue Gunter

  Basketball, Caring, Practice

  8 Copy quote

• You have no choices about how you lose, but you do have a choice about how you come back and prepare to win again.

  Pat Riley

  Basketball, Motivational Sports, Attitude

  63 Copy quote

• Other people go to the office. I get to coach. I know I've been blessed.

  Jim Valvano

  Basketball, Motivational Sports, Blessed

  13 Copy quote

• Loyalty is not unilateral. You have to give it to receive it.

  Pat Summitt

  Basketball, Loyalty, Giving

  Pat Summitt (1999). “Reach for the Summit”, p.192, Crown Business

  143 Copy quote

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• To have long term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way.

  Pat Riley

  Leadership, Basketball, Motivational Sports

  20 Copy quote

• He who controlleth the backboard, controlleth the game.

  Adolph Rupp

  Basketball, Games, Coaching

  12 Copy quote

• The more your players have to think on the basketball court, the slower their feet get.

  Jerry Tarkanian

  Basketball, Player, Thinking

  28 Copy quote

• Praise your kids. Inspire and motivate your players with praise. Ten years from now it won't matter what your record was. Will your kids love you or hate you?

  Jim Harrick

  Basketball, Hate, Love You

  10 Copy quote

• Discipline and demand without being demeaning.

  Don Meyer

  Basketball, Discipline, Coaching

  12 Copy quote

• Your defense will save you on the nights that your offense isn't working.

  Adolph Rupp

  Basketball, Night, Coaching

  23 Copy quote

• When you first assemble a group, it's not a team right off the bat. It's only a collection of individuals

  Mike Krzyzewski

  Volleyball, Team, Bats

  Mike Krzyzewski, Donald T. Phillips (2010). “Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life”, p.21, Hachette UK

  6 Copy quote

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• Your ability to communicate to your young people will determine your success.

  Jim Harrick

  Basketball, People, Coaching

  45 Copy quote

• Attitude determines how well you do it.

  Lou Holtz

  Motivational Sports, Attitude, Exercise

  Lou Holtz (2009). “Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success”, p.14, Harper Collins

  73 Copy quote

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• If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.

  John Wooden

  Life, Positive, Basketball

  "The Wizard's wisdom: 'Woodenisms'", www.espn.com. June 4, 2010.

  14 Copy quote

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• 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

  Positive, Basketball, Motivational Sports

  44 Copy quote