basketball sayings
83 Basketball Sayings for Posters
For all you basketball fans, we have an assortment of famous quotes and sayings that will look great on posters for your room. Read on to decide which one(s) you like the best!
"The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. Those boys simply would not play 'Drop the Handkerchief'."
The moment you think about basketball, the first person who comes to your mind is either Earvin 'Magic' Johnson and Michael Jordan. They are regarded to be the masters of the game, two legends, who have brought the sport so much glory. Actually, more than a sport, basketball is like a religion with thousands of devout followers, isn't that right?
So many invaluable contributors to the sport have never failed to inspire others through their game, and their words too. From James Naismith who invented the game to the great Bobby Knight, words of wisdom have motivated and inspired countless fans and made them laugh, too. Their quotes have sometimes been sarcastic, funny, and emotional too. Actually when you think about it, these sayings are more like pearls of wisdom, and a collection of the same is no less than a treasure trove!
If you feel the same way and agree with what we've said above, maybe it would be a great idea to get some of these quotes printed on posters, which would definitely look amazing in your room.
― James Naismith
The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.
― Phil Jackson
Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.
― Tim Duncan
One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.
― Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Fans never fall asleep at our games, because they're afraid they might get hit by a pass.
― George Raveling
The secret is to have eight great players and four others who will cheer like crazy.
― Jerry Tarkanian
The first time I shot the hook, I was in fourth grade, and I was about five feet eight inches tall. I put the ball up and felt totally at ease with the shot. I was completely confident it would go in. I've been shooting it ever since.
― Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Basketball is like war in that offensive weapons are developed first, and it always takes a while for the defense to catch up.
― Red Auerbach
The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.
― Bill Russell
If you think small things don't matter, think of the last game you lost by one point.
― Anonymous
Even when I'm old and gray, I won't be able to play it, but I'll still love the game.
― Michael Jordan
It is not how big you are, it is how big you play.
― Anonymous
The game of basketball has been everything to me. My place of refuge, place I've always gone where I needed comfort and peace. It's been the site of intense pain and the most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction. It's a relationship that has evolved over time, given me the greatest respect and love for the game.
― Michael Jordan
A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play.
― Mike Krzyzewski
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
When I was young, I had to learn the fundamentals of basketball. You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to know the fundamentals.
― Michael Jordan
When I step on that basketball court, I'm thinking about basketball, I'm thinking about winning - but there's so much that goes into thought about how I'm going to open this game up to others. It's so much more than just basketball.
― Carmelo Anthony
My father made me who I am. He gave me a basketball and told me to play with the ball, sleep with the ball, dream with the ball. Just don't take it to school. I used it as a pillow, and it never gave me a stiff neck.
― Shaquille O'Neal
My greatest gift that I have in life is basketball.
― Isaiah Thomas
I don't know how tall I am or how much I weigh. Because I don't want anybody to know my identity. I'm like a superhero. Call me Basketball Man.
― LeBron James
I always wanted to be a basketball player. Nothing more, nothing less.
― Dirk Nowitzki
Michael Jordon may have been the best basketball player in history, but he couldn't have won six NBA titles without a team.
― Mark E. Hyman
My days shouldn't be hard because I'm doing what I'm doing and that's playing basketball.
― Derrick Rose
I would tell players to relax and never think about what's at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you've lost your focus.
― Michael Jordan
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.
― Michael Jordan
Magic is crazy. He is that crazy wild guy on the basketball court that is very intense and very serious. He is the guy who lives and eats and breathes basketball. Magic is a guy who would stand for nothing but winning and really prepared himself as well as he prepared his team...
― Magic Johnson
I wanted to be a football player. Football is a sport that I love, but the more I started playing basketball, the more I started dreaming of playing in the NBA.
― Dwyane Wade
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.
- Michael Jordan
My responsibility is getting all my players playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back.
― Anonymous
Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball.
― Phil Jackson
Push yourself again and again. Don't give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.
― Larry Bird
Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.
― Scottie Pippen
It's what you get from games you lose that is extremely important.
― Pat Riley
As far as carrying the torch for the years to come, I don't know. I just want to be the best basketball player I can be.
― Kobe Bryant
I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.
― Kobe Bryant
Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise.
― Kobe Bryant
Everybody on a championship team doesn't get publicity, but everyone can say he's a champion.
― Magic Johnson
Prepare for every game like you just lost your last game.
― Lon Kruger
A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you're going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player.
― Jason Kidd
Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.
― Magic Johnson
Practice to beat the best.
― Dick Bennett
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
― Michael Jordan
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
― Michael Jordan
The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.
― Michael Jordan
I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty six 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
And then lastly, it's always been a personal goal of mine to be able to walk away and not play just for the money and be at the top of my game.
― Kevin Johnson
Basketball is basketball.
― Oscar Robertson
Being an All-Star is everything.
― Allen Iverson
I am a businessman. This is what I do each and every day. I love it. I love coming to work. I never have a bad day.
― Magic Johnson
I am the number one Ninja and I have killed all the Shoguns in front of me.
― Shaquille O'Neal
Personally I just want to win a championship.
― Allen Iverson
I believe that whatever we have, regardless of a trade being done or not, I feel we have a shot. I've just got to believe that we're going to be all right. I've got to just play basketball.
― Allen Iverson
I don't care what people think. People are stupid.
― Charles Barkley
I don't get nervous in any situation. There's no such thing as nerves when you're playing games.
― Shaquille O'Neal
I don't need too much. Glamour and all that stuff don't excite me. I am just glad I have the game of basketball in my life.
― LeBron James
I don't want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.
- Kobe Bryant
I go out there and get my eyes gouged, my nose busted, my body slammed. I love the pain of the game.
― Dennis Rodman
I liked the game, I enjoyed the game, and the game fed me enough, and gave me enough rewards to reinforce that this is something that I should spend time doing, and that I could possibly make a priority in my life, versus other sports.
― Julius Erving
I think I have the skills. I'm a great judge of talent. I just know basketball.
― Tim Hardaway
I think it's imperative to follow your heart and choose a profession you're passionate about, and if you haven't found that "spark" yet, if you're not sure what you want to do with your lives - be persistent until you do.
― Steve Kerr
I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me . . . Failure always made me try harder next time.
― Michael Jordan
Basketball doesn't build character it reveals it.
― Anonymous
If somebody says no to you, or if you get cut, Michael Jordan was cut his first year, but he came back and he was the best ever. That is what you have to have. The attitude that I'm going to show everybody, I'm going to work hard to get better and better.
― Magic Johnson
If you get depressed about being the second-best team in the world, then you've got a problem.
― Julius Erving
I'm in good shape to play basketball. I'm in basketball shape!
― Tim Hardaway
It doesn't matter who scores the points, it's who can get the ball to the scorer.
― Larry Bird
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
Many people think sports are totally physical, that you don't have to think, everything is done for you and you're catered to, I found that to be so far removed from the truth that it's almost a joke. The ones who become stars are the ones who have a head on their shoulders and know how to use it.
― Julius Erving
My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn't stand the sideline.
― Michael Jordan
One lucky shot deserves another.
― Shaquille O'Neal
Sometimes I'm not even satisfied when I got 6 points and 22 rebounds, because I'm always looking to do more.
― Dennis Rodman
We want to win. We want to win big. We want to win the whole thing.
― Shaquille O'Neal
What happened in the past is just that, the past. Champion or not.
― Steve Nash
When it gets down to it, basketball is basketball.
― Larry Bird
Your mind is what makes everything else work.
― Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
It doesn't matter if you fall down, it's whether you get back up.
― Michael Jordan
You don't play against opponents. You play against the game of basketball.
― Bobby Knight
Basketball is like photography, if you don't focus, all you have is the negative.
― Dan Frisby
I keep both eyes on my man. The basket hasn't moved on me yet.
― Julius Erving
They said playing basketball would kill me. Well, not playing basketball was killing me.
― Magic Johnson
Any American boy can be a basketball star if he grows up, up, up.
― Bill Vaughn
If you are afraid of failure you don't deserve to be successful!
― Charles Barkley
There are really only two plays: Romeo and Juliet, and put the darn ball in the basket.
― Abe Lemons
My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle or an aunt.
Now that you have such a wide variety of famous basketball quotes and sayings to choose from, what are you waiting for? Make some awesome posters for yourself and for like-minded friends, 'cause they'll definitely make great gifts. This is where we sign off, leaving you to hit the basket. Cheers!― Chuck Nevitt (on why he appeared nervous at practice)