Basketball Quotes - Page 8

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.

No player in the NBA was born wanting to play basketball. The desire to play ball or to read must be planted. The last 25 years of research show that reading aloud to a child is the oldest, cheapest and must successful method of instilling that desire. Shooting baskets with a child creates a basketball player; reading to a child creates a reader.

So, yeah, I'm going to try to win the national championship next year. But I'm not going to kill myself doing it. I'm not going to kill my players either. You really start to realize there's a lot more to what we're trying to do then winning games

This life is like a swimming pool. You dive into the water, but you can't see how deep it is.

Once you've done the mental work, there comes a point you have to throw yourself into the action and put your heart on the line. That means not only being brave, but being compassionate towards yourself, your teammates and your opponents.

I wasn't real quick, and I wasn't real strong. Some guys will just take off and it's like, whoa. So I beat them with my mind and my fundamentals.

On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams players hold players accountable

These are my new shoes. They're good shoes. They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me. They'll only make you have shoes like me. That's it.

It always amazes me that spectators want to coach, coaches want to officiate, and officials just want to watch the game

Hard work is not punishment. Hard work is the price of admission for the opportunity to reach sustained excellence

They shot the ball well early. What comes out of the microwave hot doesn't always stay hot. I know, because I eat bagels in the morning.

You're the only one who can make the difference. Whatever your dream is, go for it.

I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em.

If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot.

What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere.

I will prepare and some day my chance will come.

Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I'm doing.

There are many times when you are better off practicing than playing; but most people just don't understand that

My homies that are around me never give me that 'star pass'. I've hung out with some stars who are playing basketball and everyone let's them score all the baskets. Shooting pool, they let them make all the shots. My homies don't let me get away with that.

I believe that the measure of a person's life is the affect they have on others.

I've never been afraid of big moments. I get butterflies.. I get nervous and anxious, but I think those are all good signs that I'm ready for the moment.

One of the hardest things for a ball player to do is to accept his role

There are some concrete ways to create a winning attitude. But nothing beats practicing it. When you prepare to win, belief comes easily.

In the game of basketball, I play first off because I love it. I love to have fun. I love to run up and down the court.

I want to do for rebounds what Michael Jordan did for dunks.