Great Basketball Quotes

• Fans never fall asleep at our games, because they're afraid they might get hit by a pass.

  George Raveling

  Inspirational, Basketball, Fall

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

  Dean Smith

  Inspiring, Basketball, Sports

  70 Copy quote

• 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

  Basketball, Team, Hands

  "Duke of the Court". Interview, www.achievement.org. May 22, 1997.

  61 Copy quote

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• If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball.

  Phil Jackson

  Basketball, Sports, Balls

  "How Watching Football Can Make You More Spiritual" by Suzanne Gerber, www.huffingtonpost.com. February 3, 2013.

  12 Copy quote

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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

  68 Copy quote

• Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath.

  Wilt Chamberlain

  Basketball, Sports, Famous Inspirational

  82 Copy quote

• 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.

  13 Copy quote

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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

  18 Copy quote

• It doesn't matter who scores the points, it's who can get the ball to the scorer.

  Larry Bird

  Basketball, Winning, Balls

  53 Copy quote

• What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.

  John Wooden

  Life, Basketball, Motivational Sports

  John Wooden (2013). “Quotes from Coach John Wooden: Winning with Principle”, p.29, B&H Publishing Group

  4 Copy quote

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• When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro.

  Larry Bird

  Inspirational, Basketball, Dream

  18 Copy quote

• It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.

  John Wooden

  Motivational, Inspiring, Graduation

  John Wooden (2013). “Quotes from Coach John Wooden: Winning with Principle”, p.160, B&H Publishing Group

  88 Copy quote

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  Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.

  Phil Jackson

  Basketball, Teamwork, Sports

  277 Copy quote

• Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

  John Wooden

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  "This Speech Was Given Before The #4Women4AllWomen Run" by Powdered Feet, womensrunning.competitor.com. January 25, 2017.

  254 Copy quote

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• They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds.

  Winston Churchill

  Inspirational, Motivational, Basketball

  29 Copy 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

  Inspirational, Basketball, Running

  21 Copy quote

• Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

  Michael Jordan

  Motivational, Basketball, Sports

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

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• The secret is to have eight great players and four others who will cheer like crazy.

  Jerry Tarkanian

  Basketball, Sports, Teamwork

  54 Copy quote

• Be more concerned with your character than your reputation.

  John Wooden

  Basketball, Motivational Sports, Character

  Andrew Hill, John Wooden (2002). “Be Quick - But Don't Hurry: Finding Success in the Teachings of a Lifetime”, p.114, Simon and Schuster

  23 Copy quote

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• One man cannot make a team.

  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

  Motivational, Basketball, Sports

  17 Copy quote

• Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer.

  Rick Pitino

  Basketball, Sports, Nba

  Rick Pitino (1997). “Success is a Choice: Ten Steps to Overachieving in Business and Life”, Broadway

  44 Copy quote

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• Any American boy can be a basketball star if he grows up, up, up.

  Bill Vaughan

  Funny, Basketball, Stars

  4 Copy quote
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  If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it.

  Michael Jordan

  Motivational, Basketball, Running

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

  103 Copy quote

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  Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

  John Wooden

  Inspirational, Motivational, Positive

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

  47 Copy quote

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• Basketball doesn't build character it reveals it.

  James Naismith

  Basketball, Character, Inspirational Basketball

  71 Copy quote