Basketball Player Quotes

“I am Jon-Robert Holden - a basketball player, a son, a brother, a father, a friend, a writer and an Olympian!All these things are great , but I am simply a child of God who pushed himself to be the best I could be .And by following my heart and pursuing my passion I know that He blessed my steps prior to me getting here.And it's because of this I simply and humbly say, "Thank You".”

— Jon-Robert Holden

“Earl "The Goat" Manigault was probably the greatest basketball player of all time, but Michael Jordan is universally regarded as the best ever. This is because The Goat only did it at Rucker Park, while Michael did it where it mattered: in front of the world.”

— Tucker Max

“A football player is often bigger than a basketball player - more massive, that is. The basketball player is taller and more slender. So it is with redwoods. The tallest redwoods are often slender, and so they aren't the largest ones.”

— Richard Preston

“I used to play soccer when I was in Morocco, but I was more of a basketball player. I played high school basketball, I played AAU basketball.”

— French Montana

“If we can take young people who excel at the highest levels, put them on the same kind of pedestal as the all-state basketball player and the all-state football player, and begin to get the same kind of recognition, it will have a profound effect, and we are finding that it does.”

— Ben Carson

“I try to never lose sight of what a special time it is to be a women's basketball player.”

— Sue Wicks

“When I look at the system here and look at my position - not just as a basketball player, but when I look around me at the values of the people and the culture and compare them with the values of where I came from - I feel so blessed to be from Africa.”

— Hakeem Olajuwon

“Kobe Bryant is my favorite basketball player. He takes risks. He goes for the shot. He isn't cautious with whatever he does.”

— Haley Joel Osment

“I loved the glamour and excitement of the games and, in particular, knowing the names of each and every one of the referees - that's because my mom, a former basketball player, would yell at them from our front-row seats for making bad calls!”

— Hannah Storm

“When I lose the sense of motivation and the sense to prove something as a basketball player, it's time for me to move away from the game.”

— Michael Jordan

“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.”

— Isaiah Thomas

“You have to be wired a certain way to be a professional basketball player, and the way my body grew, something happened genetically that allowed me to become a lot more explosive.”

— Jeremy Lin

“I wasn't a bad basketball player, but I was far from the world's greatest. Good defense, no offense - that was me.”

— Chuck Connors

“Basketball was always my sport. It just took me until my second year of college for me to realize that I was a better baseball player than a basketball player. But basketball was always my number one love. Finally found out I was better at baseball and chose to pursue that route.”

— Curtis Granderson

“It was another year or two before I discovered that drat and draft were different words. During that same period I remember believing that details were dentals and that a bitch was an extremely tall woman. A son of a bitch was apt to be a basketball player. When you're six, most of your Bingo balls are still floating around in the draw-tank (27-8).”

— Stephen King

“Not only is Rip Hamilton an outstanding basketball player, he is also known for giving back to his community.”

— Jim Gerlach

“I always dreamt of being a basketball player. A dream that only I believed in.”

— David Duchovny

“I think, growing up, I was seen as the perfect power forward. For a long time, I thought maybe I was supposed to be a basketball player.”

— D'Brickashaw Ferguson

“Then you've got Georgetown, and I really just like everything about them. When I went down there with my mom, it really opened my eyes to what they were all about. I have to factor in what a school like that can do for me, even away from being a basketball player.”

— Nerlens Noel

“If you're a basketball player, you've got to shoot.”

— Oscar Robertson

“I never gave up as a player, and I won't give up as someone who wants to go to the Hall of Fame, because it's the ultimate goal for a baseball player or a football player or a basketball player.”

— Pete Rose

“I was pretty much seen as a basketball player coming out of high school. Football was my second love, but luckily, I turned out to be pretty good. Something just drew me to football; besides, I ended up being too short for my position in basketball.”

— Justin Tuck

“I was actually supposed to be a basketball player, not an actress. My parents had me playing basketball on competitive teams when I was in kindergarten. Even though my heart belongs to the arts, I'm a tomboy at heart, too.”

— Zendaya

“Magic Johnson, former basketball player, may run for mayor of L.A. in the next election. Remember the good 'ol days when only qualified people ran for office like actors and professional wrestlers.”

— Jay Leno

“I think I've gotten more attention after the Olympics than any other U.S. athlete, and it's really great that people are recognizing who I am and what I do. You look at Shaq and you see a basketball player. You look at Tiger Woods and you see a golfer. But people are responding to who I am.”

— Johnny Weir

“Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player.”

— Bill Gates

“Michael Jordan was a tremendous basketball player.”

— Lee Trevino

“Michael Jordan didn't become a great basketball player because he wanted to do product endorsements. Van Gogh didn't become a great painter because he dreamed that one day his paintings would sell for $50 million.”

— Jack D. Schwager

“I wanted to avoid service, because I was on the road to becoming a professional basketball player.”

— Dirk Nowitzki

“When I went blind at 13, I realized that I wasn't going to be a good baseball or basketball player like I enjoyed before. It forced me to look beyond the obvious, to things that I could still do well.”

— Erik Weihenmayer

“I think planning to be a "professional adventurer" is about as realistic as planning to be a basketball player, so I don't usually encourage it.”

— Andrew Skurka

“I'm a basketball player, not a monk.”

— Marvin Barnes

“There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%”

— Masai Ujiri

“Everyone is gonna have a bad day, everyone is gonna have a bad game. The questions are: How do you recover? What builds your character? I decided one day early on in high school that I wanted to be great at basketball, not just a good basketball player.”

— Gilbert Arenas

“I feel like I'm a basketball player in a football uniform.”

— Terrell Owens

“All of the Chinese people, the Asian people say, "Oh Yao Ming, you are all the Chinese, all of Asia's hopes." That's a lot of pressure. I'm just a basketball player.”

— Yao Ming

“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'm glad I stayed in school four years. It matured me as a man and as a basketball player.”

— Josh Howard

“Scientists contribute in a variety of ways and I don't think I can singular one even including [Albert] Einstein, that I can say that he's the best. We don't work like the best basketball player and the best musician and so on. Science is a collective effort.”

— Ahmed H. Zewail

“I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worst thing you can say to a basketball player.”

— Dennis Rodman

“When I come home, I'm not a basketball player, but "dad". While everyone sees me as an NBA player, to my boys, I'm just "dad" and that's very important.”

— Dwyane Wade

“Great players never look in the mirror and think I'm a great basketball player. You ask yourself, Am I the best player I can be?”

— Michael Jordan

“If I don't get five [titles], I won't be happy with myself as a basketball player. I don't know how you guys will feel about me.”

— Shaquille O'Neal

“We overload in our workouts so that the game slows down in real life. It helps you become a smarter basketball player.”

— Stephen Curry

“Being a superstar means you've reached your potential, and I don't think I've reached my potential as a basketball player and as a leader yet.”

— Stephen Curry

“If every basketball player worked as hard as I did, I'd be out of a job”

— Steve Nash

“Once you become a good person, then you have a chance of becoming a good basketball player.”

— John Wooden

“There was a time when only specialized Christian missionaries needed to be able to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ against the attacks of Islam. Today every Christian has an opportunity and obligation to present the gospel effectively and in Christian love to the Muslims who have permeated our Western society. When your neighbor, your mechanic, your favorite basketball player, your employer or employee, or even your children's friends could very well be Muslims, the need for proper understanding and an effective Christian witness is abundantly clear.”

— Josh McDowell

“People in general misunderstand me. I'm very aware of the stereotype that comes with being a basketball player. But I'm well-rounded. I'm cultured. It's funny: When I speak, people are like, "Wow! You can really talk." I'm like, "What did you expect?"”

— Chris Bosh

“I am a basketball player, and I would like to focus my energy on basketball. The other things, I would rather not do. It is not something I am greatly interested in, but I know it is my responsibility.”

— Yao Ming