If you love basketball definitely you love basketball quotes.
Sometimes quotes are terrific to motivate and inspire coaches and players. I found myself motivated after reading greatest players quotes. Some quotes might make you laugh, while others might not.
Here I have collected 100 basketball quotes from 50 greatest players of NBA! Hope you will enjoy it.
- “Even when I’m old and gray, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.” ~ Michael Jordan
- “Being afraid on the court means you’re not confident of your skills” ~ Michael Jordan
- “This is a team game and one man doesn’t win and one man doesn’t lose. In the end, the best team usually wins” ~ Wilt Chamberlain
- “They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.” ~ Wilt Chamberlain
- “Remember that basketball is a game of habits. If you make the other guy deviate
from his habits, you’ve got him” ~ Bill Russell - “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 stats win nothing. I’m still sexy. I’m still great.” ~ Shaquille O’Neal
- “The biggest thing that will define my legacy is how I’ve done it, and what I’ve done, and who I am. I’m a weird big guy. Doing rapping, doing movies. Do a lot of stuff. But always do things the right way. Went to the police academy to become a police officer. Get his master’s in criminal justice, stayed out of trouble. Played for three different teams. Changed three different franchises around. This is a guy who they would have secret meetings about to change the rules. So, that’s going to be my legacy: the most dominant player ever. ” ~ Shaquille O’Neal
- “You’ve got to learn the footwork, the positioning, how to box out, how to pass, how to shoot your free throws. All these things are necessary, not to be the No. 1 player in the world, but maybe you can play against him.” ~ Oscar Robertson
Read: 23 Basketball Motivational Quotes for School Students
- “I think that everyone should be able to dribble. Everyone should be able to pass. Otherwise, why are you out there?” ~ Oscar Robertson
- “Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.” ~ Magic Johnson
- “Talent is never enough. With few exceptions, the best players are the hardest workers.”~ Magic Johnson
- “Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement for the achievement of the group. It enhances everybody” ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- “Five guys on the court working together can achieve more than five talented individuals who come and go as individuals.” ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- “When our assists lead to baskets, that’s us playing our best, and we begin knocking down shots.” ~ Tim Duncan
- “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” ~ Tim Duncan
- “Practice habits were crucial to my development in basketball. I didn’t play against the toughest competition in high school, but one reason I was able to do well in college was that I mastered the fundamentals. You’ve got to have them down before you can even think about playing” ~ Larry Bird
- “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
- “It’s not about the number of hours you practice, it’s about the number of hours your mind is present during the practice” ~ Kobe Bryant
- “When you love something, you’ll always come back to it. You’ll always keep asking questions, and finding answers.“ ~ Kobe Bryant
- “Confidence is everything in this game, if you don’t think you can, you won’t” ~ Jerry West
- “You can’t imagine how much good luck is involved in winning, but all of a sudden, you get in a situation where every break goes your way, every call goes your way, every ball that rolls around drops in instead of out. It feels magical.“ ~ Jerry West
- “Coaching is easy. Winning is the hard part” ~ Elgin Baylor
- “Every time you compete, try harder to improve on your last performance. Give nothing short of your very best effort” ~ Elgin Baylor
- “Basketball is in my blood. It is my obligation to try.” ~ Hakeem Olajuwon
- “In many ways, my job in soccer was like my job in basketball now. I had to protect the goal. That was the name of the game, not letting the other team score.” ~ Hakeem Olajuwon
- “I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.” ~ Julius Erving
- “The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life – mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical.” ~ Julius Erving
- “Forget the technique. Hit the guy across from you. Don’t let somebody come in your space.” ~Karl Malone
- “When we play the game like we’re supposed to play it, it is pretty easy. Making the extra pass, making the simple play, it’s not about between your legs, behind your back, and all of that, it’s just about scoring the bucket.” ~Karl Malone
- “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
- Basketball is not played simply with X’s and O’s. It’s played with both trust and confidence.”~ Isiah Thomas
- “If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!” ~ Charles Barkley
- “I don’t worry about playing basketball; that comes natural. I just want to have fun.” ~ Charles Barkley
- “I was taught to play the game from a total team concept-to be able to do everything reasonably well and some things extraordinarily well. If I’m not shooting well, I’ll try to be an asset in other ways-like defense, passing, rebounding, and hustle.” ~ Rick Barry
- “When you think about what the odds are to have four boys to not only be able to follow in the footsteps in a basketball career but to also be good in the secondary career as far as the broadcasting, it’s pretty remarkable.” ~ Rick Barry
- “You’re always going to face criticism, you’re always going to face challenges, but those things are there to make you stronger and more committed.” ~ David Robinson
- “I think any player will tell you that individual accomplishments help your ego, but if you don’t win, it makes for a very, very long season. It counts more that the team has played well.” ~ David Robinson
- “One of the hardest things for a ball player to do is to accept his role.” ~ Scottie Pippen
- “Sometimes a player’s greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.” ~ Scottie Pippen
- “Championship teams are built on being prepared, playing unselfishly and being held accountable” ~ Jason Kidd
- “Hard work does pay, and you just have to continue to work, and you got two guys, when you’re talking about Gary and myself, we have a God-given talent, but we worked at it and we’re happy to be where we are today.” ~ Jason Kidd
- “They say no matter how hard you work, there’s always someone, somewhere working harder then you. Guess what.. I’m that someone” ~ Kevin Garnett
- “I’ve never been an individual guy. I never cared about the accolades. I’ve always been driven by the competition and the learning process.” ~ Kevin Garnett
- “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
- “You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed – you’re not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that.”~Lebron James
- “”It’s not my job to look good. It’s my job to make other people look good.” ~ Wes Unseld
- “I didn’t do anything very pretty. My contributions were in the intangibles. But, they were the type of things that help lead a team.. ~ Wes Unseld
- “Everybody keeps telling me how surprised they are with what I’ve done. But I’m telling you honestly that it doesn’t surprise me. I knew I could do it.” ~ Patrick Ewing
- “If I want to average 32 points a game, I can do that easily. It’s just eight, eight, eight, eight. No problem. I can do that anytime. That’s not being cocky. That’s confidence.” ~ Patrick Ewing
- “I’m not perfect. But I am trying every day to concentrate on being better.” ~ Allen Iverson
- “A jump shot can get you a shoe deal, a big house, a supermodel, fancy cars, a bunch of yes men, a Swiss bank account. But none of these things can get you a jump shot.” ~ Allen Iverson
- “I think it goes hand in hand because if you discipline yourself on the floor, as you become an older player or a more seasoned individual, it adds structure in your life.” ~ Dominique Wilkins
- “I bleed and breathe Hawks. Even when I played for other teams I felt funny, because I was a Hawk..” ~ Dominique Wilkins
- “This life is like a swimming pool. You dive into the water, but you can’t see how deep it is.” ~ Dennis Rodman
- “The people at the top of the league think they need to rein me in so I don’t become another Michael Jordan, somebody they aren’t able to mold and shape and make their puppet.” ~ Dennis Rodman
- “Nobody knows that they’re going to be Champions – you have to work to get there.” ~ Dwyane Wade
- “As long as you put on a jersey, no matter what kind of jersey it is, as long as you’re supporting the game of basketball, I enjoy it.” ~ Dwyane Wade
- “The guys that improve every year are those that are always adding something to their game.” ~ Steve Nash
- “I learned at a young age to dribble with both hands, and that allows me to be more creative when I go against bigger and stronger opponents.” ~ Steve Nash
- “I don’t have the physical talent those guys have. My hard work has made me very good.” ~ Reggie Miller
- “I’ve always liked to shoot from the hip. This is the perfect fit for me … I’m willing to earn my spurs, because once again, after 18 years I’m back to being a rookie.” ~ Reggie Miller
- “I know, basketball is a dance. I didn’t understand the significance of that type of training at first. I was supposed to read poems…” ~ Dirk Nowitzki
- “I always wanted to be a basketball player. Nothing more, nothing less.” ~ Dirk Nowitzki
- “I played basketball to try to get my parents from working so hard.” ~ James Worthy
- “If you feel pain, you have to make up your mind whether you can play with it or not.” ~ James Worthy
- “There is nothing wrong with dedication and goals, but if you focus on yourself, all the lights fade away and you become a fleeting moment in life.” ~ Pete Maravich
- “If I have a choice whether to do the show or throw a straight pass, and we’re going to get the basket either way, I’m going to do the show.” ~ Pete Maravich
- “Anybody that shoots a hook shot, whatever hand, I jump up and cheer because it’s the easiest shot, it’s the best tweener shot.” ~ Tom Heinsohn
- “Chuck Daly was a man and a coach who everyone had great respect for, and to be recognized in his memory is very special.” ~ Tom Heinsohn
- “It’s a game of habit, or repetition. You can’t play one way in practice and another way in a game. It’s a reflex. The game is so quick you don’t have time to think.” ~ Bill Sharman
- “Tomorrow never really comes, so todays performance is what really counts.” ~ Bill Sharman
- “You can want and hope, or you can make it happen.” ~ Alonzo Mourning
- “I am reaching a point in my life where the basketball chapter in my life is slowly closing from a competition standpoint.” ~ Alonzo Mourning
- “Basketball is one of those rare opportunities where you can make a difference, not only for yourself, but for other people as well.” ~ Bill Walton
- “Winning is about having the whole team on the same page.” ~ Bill Walton
- “It’s all a learning process. You’ve got to learn from experience, the battles you go through. Some guys continue to grow. Hopefully, that’s what I’ll continue do.” ~ Paul Pierce
- “I’ve never been on the cover of a game. When people go into the store and see me on the cover of a game, maybe that will entice them to buy it.” ~ Paul Pierce
- “I think the (brawl) made the league and the players more conscious of our responsibility to the public.” ~ Joe Dumars
- “We have very smart players and they’ve been fortunate to play for three very good coaches.” ~ Joe Dumars
- “It comes down to consistency-if you want to be a great shooter, you have to shoot the same way every time.” ~ Ray Allen
- “I’m always ready to step up and take that shot.”~ Ray Allen
- “I just want to fit in and win games for my team.” ~ Chris Webber
- “I’ve been in the league 12 years. To sit on the bench and complain about the way things were, that doesn’t get anything done. I don’t know. I’m playing for a championship and trying to make the playoffs. My effort has never changed.” ~ Chris Webber
- The only way to shut people up is just by winning and just playing basketball.” ~ Dwight Howard
- “Basketball has brought me a lot of joy, brought me a lot of good things. Just that side of it has really affected me.” ~ Dwight Howard
- “When an elevator brings u upstairs, you better send it back down in order to bring others up!” ~ Dikembe Mutombo
- “It’s easy to be a spokesman and ambassador for a great organization like the NBA. I thank Commissioner David Stern for putting that trust in me to serve the NBA around the globe.” ~ Dikembe Mutombo
Read: Basketball Instagram Captions - “If our minds and hearts are into it, we can be a heck of a team. We can beat anybody.” ~ Pau Gasol
- “I may not be the most physical player, that’s not my nature. But I am a competitor and I play as hard as I can.” ~ Pau Gasol
- “I’m the guy that stands out in all the crowds, so I don’t get out there and dance, but I can dance.” ~ Tracy McGrady
- “People are really hesitant about expressing that they don’t know something – but what’s the big deal? I’m not ashamed about that at all.” ~ Tracy McGrady
- “The great thing about sports is you constantly have to prove yourself. You constantly have to go out there and do it, day in and day out.” ~ Grant Hill
- “I’ve done a lot of basketball drills, not a whole lot of competitive stuff. I have basically been in the gym every day working on my game, working on the time off that I’ve had from the game, just getting myself prepared mentally and physically for the season.” ~ Grant Hill
- “Everybody is different. Everybody has different styles. Just do it the best way you know how.” ~ Vince Carter
- “My parents are my inspiration. Believe it or not, they’re my personal coaches. After every game, I still call them and get their take on how I played.” ~ Vince Carter
- “Basketball isn’t easy. All my life I’ve been striving to make myself better. It’s a full-time commitment. To be the best, you have to work the hardest. You have to chase what seems impossible over and over and over again because giving up is not an option, and when you feel like you’ve reached your limit, it’s only the beginning, that’s when the time to dig deep, to find the courage to push some more, because if you’ve got the drive, the discipline, and the resolve to do what it takes to make yourself great, then the rewards are endless.” ~ LeBron James
- “You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed – you’re not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that.” ~ LeBron James
- “So many people doubted me. They motivated me every single day, to be, who I am.” ~ Kevin Durant
- “I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow. I just know for sure I’m going to keep playing basketball.” ~ Kevin Durant
So you have read all the quotes? Let us know which one is your favorite quote.