Basketball Motivation Quotes - Page 4

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

John Wooden

Inspirational, Success, Basketball

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

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One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.

Knute Rockne

Inspirational, Motivational, Positive

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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

Basketball, Team, Winning

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Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.

Larry Bird

Basketball, Sports, Nba

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Every season is a journey. Every journey is a lifetime.

Mike Krzyzewski

Basketball, Sports, Journey

Mike Krzyzewski, Donald T. Phillips (2010). “Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life”, p.52, Hachette UK

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It is foolish to expect a young man to follow your advice and to ignore your example.

Don Meyer

Basketball, Men, Nba

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I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you're doing.

Phil Jackson

Thinking, Coaching, Important

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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.

Michael Jordan

Basketball, Teamwork, Thinking

Michael Jordan (1994). “I can't accept not trying: Michael Jordan on the pursuit of excellence”

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

Jim Valvano

Basketball, Motivational Sports, Blessed

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There may be people who have more talent than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do - and I believe that.

Derek Jeter

Motivational, Inspiring, Success

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It isn't about what you do, but how you do it

John Wooden

Ucla, Inspirational Basketball, Motivational Basketball

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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, Missing, Shots

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The two ingredients in success in basketball are playing hard and playing intelligently.

Pete Carril

Basketball, Two, Ingredients

Pete Carril, Dan White (2004). “The Smart Take from the Strong: The Basketball Philosophy of Pete Carril”, p.16, U of Nebraska Press

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It's not how big you are, it's how big you play.

John Wooden

Basketball, Play, Bigs

"How (and why) position-less lineups have taken over the NBA playoffs" by Ian McMahan, www.theguardian.com. May 1, 2018.

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If you quit ONCE it becomes a habit.Never quit!!!

Michael Jordan

Inspirational, Basketball, Business

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I know I'm never as good or bad as one single performance. I've never believed in my critics or my worshippers, and I've always been able to leave the game at the arena.

Charles Barkley

Motivational, Basketball, Games

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Don't try to imitate other coaches. Be your own person with your own style and do your own thing.

Hubie Brown

Basketball, Coaching, Style

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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.

Michael Jordan

Motivational, Success, Basketball

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

Adolph Rupp

Basketball, Night, Coaching

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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.

Michael Jordan

Inspirational, Basketball, Sports

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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

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Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.

Pat Riley

Inspirational, Motivational, Basketball

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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

Stars, Home, Finals

"Stephen Curry's killer instinct". Interview with Sam Alipour, www.espn.com.au. December 11, 2013.

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Defense doesn't break down on the help, it breaks down on the recovery.

Chuck Daly

Basketball, Recovery, Coaching

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I've got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.

Larry Bird

Motivational, Basketball, Sports

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