Good Basketball Quotes

• Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

  Stevie Wonder

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  312 Copy quote

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

  Don Meyer

  Basketball, Men, Nba

  22 Copy quote

• We try to stress the little things because little things lead to big things.

  Steve Alford

  Basketball, Motivational Sports, Stress

  19 Copy quote

• 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.

  Pete Carril

  Basketball, Motivational Sports, Thinking

  Pete Carril, Dan White (2004). “The Smart Take from the Strong: The Basketball Philosophy of Pete Carril”, p.196, U of Nebraska Press

  24 Copy quote

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• The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.

  Bill Russell

  Basketball, Motivational Sports, Block

  101 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.

  17 Copy quote

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• When it's played the way is supposed 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

  Basketball, Dream, Air

  17 Copy quote
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  Push yourself again and again. Don't give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.

  Larry Bird

  Motivational, Basketball, Sports

  130 Copy quote

• If you are afraid of failure, you don't deserve success.

  Nastia Liukin

  Basketball, Sports, Athlete

  Twitter post from Jan 3, 2012

  26 Copy quote

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• Teams that play together beat those with superior players who play more as individuals.

  Jack Ramsay

  Basketball, Team, Player

  48 Copy quote

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

  Bill Vaughan

  Funny, Basketball, Stars

  8 Copy quote

• When I dunk, I put something on it. I want the ball to hit the floor before I do.

  Darryl Dawkins

  Basketball, Sports, Balls

  56 Copy quote

• You always have to give 100%,because if you don't someone, somewhere will give 100% and they will beat you when you meet.

  Ed Macauley

  Life, Basketball, Business

  7 Copy quote

• One man cannot make a team.

  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

  Motivational, Basketball, Sports

  23 Copy quote

• Good basketball always starts with good defense!

  Bobby Knight

  Basketball, Nba, Defense

  7 Copy quote

• 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, Eight, Practice

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

  176 Copy quote

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• 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

  35 Copy quote

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

  Helio Gracie

  Basketball, Art, Mma

  81 Copy quote

• Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball.

  Phil Jackson

  Inspirational, Basketball, Sports

  27 Copy quote

• Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath.

  Wilt Chamberlain

  Basketball, Sports, Famous Inspirational

  87 Copy quote

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

  Pat Riley

  Basketball, Games, Coaching

  11 Copy quote

• Basketball doesn't build character it reveals it.

  James Naismith

  Basketball, Character, Inspirational Basketball

  89 Copy quote
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  The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not.

  Charles Barkley

  Basketball, Differences, Shots

  Charles Barkley (2009). “Sir Charles: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles Barkley”, p.27, Hachette UK

  22 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

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

  Dean Smith

  Basketball, Beautiful, Player

  Dean Smith, Gerald D. Bell, John Kilgo (2004). “The Carolina Way: Leadership Lessons from a Life in Coaching”, p.142, Penguin

  80 Copy quote

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