Explore the captivating world of basketball quotes that will ignite your fire for success and unlock your full potential.
I’m bringing you inspiring words from famous basketball icons such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and much more.
Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, these basketball quotes will inspire you to work harder and reach higher.
10 Greatest Basketball Quotes
1. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can´t accept not trying.” — Michael Jordan
2. “The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.” — Kobe Bryant
3. “Excellence is not a singular act but a habit. You are what you do repeatedly.” — Shaquille O’Neal
4. “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.“ — Tim Duncan
5. “If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!” — Charles Barkley
6. “Nothing is given. Everything is earned.” — LeBron James
7. “The key is not the ‘will to win’… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” — Bob Knight
8. “You don’t have to be Magic to be special. You’re already special, you’re you.” — Magic Johnson
9. “Basketball doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” — James Naismith
10. “Bottom line, you’re either a risk taker, or your not, and if you don’t take risks, you’ll never win big.” — Geno Auriemma
See also: 150 Best Taking Risk Quotes To Embrace Courageous Choices
Basketball Quotes To Teach You Life Lessons
1. “You can’t win unless you learn how to lose.” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. “Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.” — John Wooden
3. “I have a plan of action, but the game is a game of adjustments.” — Mike Krzyzewski
4. “Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.“ — Magic Johnson
5. “I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually, they make the difference between winning and losing.” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. “In both basketball and life, it’s important to stay adaptable and embrace change, as it often leads to growth and improvement.” — Bruce Bowen
7. “Don’t let winning make you soft. Don’t let losing make you quit. Don’t let your teammates down in any situation.” — Larry Bird
8. “If you´re afraid to fail, then you´re probably going to fail.” — Kobe Bryant
9. “I’ve got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.“ — Larry Bird
10. “The most important thing in basketball is to have a positive attitude and to always believe in yourself and your abilities.” — Dwight Howard
See also: 160 Believe In Yourself Quotes To Bask In Your Confidence
11. “The day I stopped worrying about stats is the day I started winning.” — Shaquille O’Neal
12. “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
13. “The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.” — William Arthur Ward
14. “Nothing is given; nothing is handed to you. You have to take what you deserve.” — Marcus Keene
15. “Admit to and make yourself accountable for mistakes. How can you improve if you’re never wrong?” — Pat Summitt
See also: 120 Accountability Quotes For The Most Responsible Ones
16. “It doesn’t matter if you fall down, it’s whether you get back up.” — Michael Jordan
17. “Making the big shot wouldn’t feel so good if missing it didn’t feel so awful.” — Paul Pierce
18. “I’ve never believed my critics or my worshippers, and I’ve always been able to leave the game at the arena.” — Charles Barkley
19. “Losing is part of the game. If you never lose, you are never truly tested, and never forced to grow.” — David Sirlin
20. “Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.” — Kobe Bryant
See also: 100 Hater Quotes That Reveal a Lot About Them
Motivational Basketball Quotes On Overcoming Challenges
1. “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – are all an opportunity for me to rise.“ — Kobe Bryant
2. “Keep practicing. Never let someone tell you you’re too small or too slow.” — Chris Paul
3. “Great effort springs naturally from great attitude.” — Pat Riley
4. “You have to go through good times and bad times to get where you’re trying to go.” — Allen Iverson
5. “Success on the court is earned through unwavering discipline and an unyielding commitment to hard work.” — Kenny Smith
6. “All dreams are crazy. Until they come true.” — Dirk Nowitzki
7. “The key to being a great basketball player is to never stop learning and to always be willing to get better.” — Kobe Bryant
8. “The more you prepare, the more confident you are.” — Tim Duncan
9. “A lot of people told me I couldn’t do it because of my size. I was determined to prove those people wrong.” — Ben Wallace
10. “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
See also: 100 Growth Mindset Quotes For Those Who Want To Succeed
11. “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” — John Wooden
12. “You can’t stop people from trying to limit your dreams, but you can stop it from becoming a reality. Your dreams are up to you.” — Kobe Bryant
13. “Basketball is a game of mental toughness. It´s about being able to push through adversity and never giving up.” — Blake Griffin
14. “Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” — Michael Jordan
15. “Confidence is everything in this game, if you don’t think you can, you won’t.” — Jerry West
See also: 80 Inspirational Confidence Affirmations To Empower You
Inspiring Basketball Quotes To Keep You Going
1. “If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” — Michael Jordan
2. “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” — Kobe Bryant
3. “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
4. “Once you know what failure feels like, determination chases success.” — Kobe Bryant
5. “Be led by your dreams not by your problems.” — Roy Williams
See also: 120 Follow Your Dreams Quotes To Keep You On The Track
6. “If it turns out that my best wasn’t good enough, at least I wont look back and say that I was afraid to try.” — Michael Jordan
7. “Basketball isn’t just a sport. It is an art, one that must be mastered to succeed.” — Steph Curry
8. “Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.” — Larry Bird
9. “I learned that if you want to be great at something, you have to love it and be willing to work hard at it.” — Maya Moore
10. “Progress comes from knowing your weaknesses, working on them, and turning them into strengths.” — Hakeem Olajuwon
See also: 120 Ultimate Best Quotes About Progress To Fuel Your Growth
11. “I’ve always believed no matter how many shots I miss, I’m going to make the next one.” — Hakeem Olajuwon
12. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Poise and confidence are a natural result of proper preparation.” — John Wooden
13. “Basketball is a game of mental toughness. It´s about being able to stay focused and not getting rattled under pressure.” — James Harden
14. “If you love the game and you love playing, just have fun and enjoy it. Work hard and don’t get bogged down by it.” — Blake Griffin
15. “Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” — John Wooden
16. “You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.” — Michael Jordan
17. “All the successful teams I’ve ever seen have three characteristics: They play unselfish, they play together, and they play hard.“ — Larry Brown
18. “Discover your gift, develop your gift, and then give it away every day.” — Don Meyer
19. “The worst has happened. The best is next.” — Paul George
20. “I’m still waiting for perfection. In the meantime, I’ll settle for persistence.” — Bo Ryan
See also: 150 Wise Quotes Of Perfection To Propel You To Excellence
Basketball Quotes On Motivation And Preservance
1. “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” — Kevin Durant
2. “I treated it like every day was my last day with a basketball.” — LeBron James
3. “You can’t always be the most talented or gifted person in the room, but you can be the most competitive.“ — Pat Summit
4. “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.” — Kobe Bryant
5. “Shooting percentage is just as much about decision making as it is about technique.” — Jeff Van Gundy
6. “You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” — Jerry West
7. “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments, and without it, success is impossible.” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
8. “Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” — Michael Jordan
9. “If you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear.” — Kobe Bryant
10. “You can’t shortcut the process; it takes time, discipline, and hard work to become great.” — Caron Butler
See also: 150 Discipline Quotes To Unlock Your Potential And Success
11. “If you want to be a better player, you have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more.” ― Kobe Bryant
12. “Every time you compete, try harder to improve on your last performance. Give nothing short of your very best effort.” — Elgin Baylor
13. “I think, team first. It allows me to succeed, it allows my team to succeed.“ — Lebron James
14. “If you want to look good in front of thousands then you have to outwork thousands in front of nobody.” ― Damian Lillard
15. “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” — Vince Lombardi
See also: 160 Winning Quotes To Celebrate Your Achievements
In Conclusion
I hope these basketball quotes have inspired you to give your best to live up to your potential and pursue greatness in all aspects of life.
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