Evergreen 30 Best Basketball Quotes

Basketball has been an amazing and most popular game around the world since its invention back in 1891 by James Naismith, who was a physician, Christian chaplain, sports coach, physical educator, and innovator. Since then, the popularity has been increasing, and people enjoy this game with emotion. However, as a basketball player, when you intend to develop your skills to the next level, then going through some great quotes on the basketball can boost up your confidence level. Once you have the motivation, then you can perform well in the court. Not only that, even if you are not a basketball player, still these quotes can help you moving forward whatever you do in your life. So without further ado, let’s check out some great basketball quotes of all time.

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1. “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

2. “We try to stress the little things because little things lead to big things.” — Steve Alford

3. “Some say you have to use your five best players, but I found out you win with the five that fit together best as a team.” — Red Auerbach

4. “I know that I’m never as good or bad as any single performance. I’ve never believed my critics or my worshippers, and I’ve always been able to leave the game at the arena.” — Charles Barkley

5. “This year we plan to run and shoot. Next season we hope to run and score.” — Billy Tubbs

6. “When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team.” — George Raveling

7. “I hate it. It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air.” — Norm Sloan, on zone defense

8. “I’m still waiting for perfection. In the meantime, I’ll settle for persistence.” — Bo Ryan

9. “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” — John Wooden

10. “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.” — John Wooden

11. “They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.” — Wilt Chamberlain

12. “You always have to be on edge. You always have to take every practice, every game like it is your last”- Kobe Bryant

13. “Some say you have to use your five best players, but I found out you win with the five that fit together best as a team”- Red Auerbach

14. “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed”- Michael Jordan

15. “Basketball is not a game. It is an art form. You master the fundamentals so you can forget them, so you can improvise and just concentrate on what really matters, getting buckets”- Kyrie Irving

16. “All the successful teams I’ve ever seen have three characteristics: They play unselfish, they play together, and they play hard.” — Larry Brown

17. “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

18. “You got to believe in yourself. Hell, I believe I’m the best-looking guy in the world and I might be right.” — Charles Barkley

19. “I know that I’m never as good or bad as any single performance. I’ve never believed my critics or my worshippers, and I’ve always been able to leave the game at the arena.” — Charles Barkley

20.   “Once you are labeled the best you want to stay up there and you can’t do it by loafing around. If I don’t keep changing, I’m history” — Larry bird

21. “Many times they asked me from where I got so much will, desire for training, the hunger for baskets when I achieve everything in basketball, and I don’t need to have new evidence. The answer is not difficult. While playing basketball, I want to be the best” — Drazen Petrovic

22. “I’m tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, and wear Reebok.” — Shaquille O’Neal

23. “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. “ — Michael Jordan

24. “I can’t stand a ballplayer who plays in fear. Any fellow who has a good shot has got to take it and keep taking it. So he misses — so what?” — Red Auerbach

25. One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team —  Kareem Abdul Jabbar

26. “Every night on the court I give my all and if I am not giving 100 percent, I criticize myself”-  LeBron James

27. “I just love the game of basketball so much. The game I don’t need the 18,000 people screaming and all the peripheral things. To me, the most enjoyable part is the practice and preparation”- Bob Knight

28. “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” — Tim Duncan

29.  “Not only is there more to life than basketball, but there’s also a lot more to basketball than basketball.” — Phil Jackson

30. “The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.” — Bill Russell

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So these are all 30 best basketball quotes of all time. Remember that you must have a desire and need to work hard to achieve something. No big wall can be a barrier if you have the determination and motivation towards your goal.  I believe that these inspirational quotes will boost up your confidence and helps achieve your dream.