Blog Kaitlyn Fedor
Basketball is not only an entertaining sport that's incredibly fun to play, but it can also be truly inspiring. Since its beginning, it has become a global sport with people playing from the Philippines to Latvia. Basketball in particular, is a sport that truly needs passion to succeed. Even with all the talent in the world, you still need to find a way to motivate yourself to train and become the best player you can be.
At times, you'll find the grueling training to be completely unenjoyable. You may want to ditch practice to play video games or some other sort of instant gratification. Below, we've listed some basketball quotes from some of the greatest minds to be involved with the sport. These quotes are designed to encourage you and keep you motivated towards your goals.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is known as the greatest basketball player, for good reason. Not only was he exceptionally talented and blessed with incredible athleticism, but Michael Jordan was also a hard worker that faced extreme adversity on his road to becoming the best. Other than his skills and techniques, his drive to succeed despite his fails are what differentiates him and other players from other individuals on the courts. These quotes speak to Michael Jordan's drive. You should also set lofty goals for yourself. If you expect greatness and put in the effort, you have the ability to achieve greatness.
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.”
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, and others make it happen.”
“I've missed more than 9000 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 again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
“Obstacles don't have to stop you. 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.”
“You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.”
Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson is another great basketball player who was the mastermind behind the great Bulls and Lakers teams of the 90s and 2000s. Here are some of his famous takes on basketball and what it takes to succeed. He often reminded players of their own innate ability and how trusting each other will lead them down the path to victory.
“To inspire the players, I adapted a quote from Walt Whitman and taped it on their lockers before the first game of the playoffs, against the Miami Heat. 'Henceforth we seek not good fortune, we are ourselves good fortune'.”
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
“The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more that way.”
If you're ever feeling down when playing on the basketball courts or during skills training, check some of the quotes from these exceptional athletes to keep you motivated!
