80+ Motivational Basketball Quotes To Fuel Your Game (2024)

Michael Jordan, considered by many as the greatest basketball player of all time, has a plethora of insightful quotes that can inspire and guide you in life and basketball. Here are some of his most impactful quotes:

• "I play to win, whether during practice or a real game."
• "My attitude is that if you push me towards something that I think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.
• "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."
• "I've never lost a game, I just ran out of time."
• "I've missed more than 9,000 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."
• "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."
• "If it turns out that my best wasn't good enough, at least I won't look back and say I was afraid to try."
• "Heart is what separates the good from the great."
• "Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen."
• "The difference between success and failure is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."

Here are some motivational quotes for basketball:

• "The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot." - Bill Russell.
• "Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath." - Wilt Chamberlain.
• "I think that my God-given physical attributes, big hands, and big feet, the way that I’m built, proportion-wise, just made basketball the most inviting sport for me to play." - Julius Erving.
• "The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. Those boys simply would not play ‘drop the handkerchief’." - James Naismith.
• "Every memory I had growing up was involving a basketball. I didn’t go to the prom and stuff like that. It was always basketball for me." - Kevin Durant.
• "Champions never complain, they are too busy getting better." - John Wooden.
• "Sometimes a player’s greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team." - Scottie Pippen.
• "When you’re not practicing, someone else is getting better." - Allen Iverson.
• "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard." - Kevin Durant.

Here are some inspirational quotes from Kobe Bryant:

• "The most important thing, the thing that unites all of us, is that we can inspire and challenge one another TO BE BETTER."
• "Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses."
• "It’s not about the number of hours you practice, it’s about the number of hours your mind is present during the practice."
• "Heroes come and go, but legends are forever."
• "I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success."
• "Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise."
• "The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do."
• "I never tried to prove anything to someone else. I wanted to prove something to myself."
• "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail."

Below are some basketball quotes that can be related to life:

• "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." - Phil Jackson.
• "To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate." -Michael Jordan.
• "Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." -John Wooden.
• "You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." - Jerry West.
• "Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered." -Bill Russell.
• "You have to go through good times and bad times to get where you’re trying to go." -Allen Iverson.
• "No one knows how big your potential is, how big your heart is, when you start." - Muggsy Bogues.

Here are some cool basketball quotes:

• "Nervous means you want to play. Scared means you don’t want to play." - Sherman Alexie.
• "They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds." - Wilt Chamberlain.
• "Everyone has the fire, but the champions know when to ignite the spark." - Amit Ray.
• "Never let anyone lower your goals. Others’ expectations of you are determined by their limitations of life. The sky is your limit, sons. Always shoot for the sun and you will shine." - Kwame Alexander.
• "I am more than just a Serious basketball fan. I am a life-long Addict. I was addicted from birth, in fact, because I was born in Kentucky." - Hunter S. Thompson.
• "Basketball is a game with winners and losers, but if you play this game with your heart, you’re always a winner." - David Foster.

Here are some inspiring basketball quotes from Nike:

• "To those who love basketball."
• "Prove yourself."
• "Be brave to the challenges."
• "Never let down by anyone."
• "You need to make great efforts to make it."
• "So just do it."
• "Always wear the right shoes for every occasion."
• "No words are needed."
• "Be confident."
• "Trust your talents."

Here are some inspirational Basketball Quotes for Girls:

• "She dribbles like a goddess, shoots like a dream, and plays with the heart of a lion."
• "I'm not just a pretty face, I can also play basketball."
• "Embrace the pressure, for within it lies the chance to shine and exceed all expectations."
• "She's more than just a basketball player. She's a student, a daughter, a friend, and a role model."
• "Dribble with determination, shoot with precision, and let your love for the game fuel your every action."
• "She's changing the game."
• "The court is your canvas, and with every move, you paint a masterpiece of resilience and grace."
• "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart"

Here are some of the best basketball quotes that can boost your confidence and inspire you to become better:

• "If you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear." - Kobe Bryant.
• "I hear that word pressure all the time. There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I feel if I play my game, it will take care of itself." - LeBron James.
• "There’s more to life than basketball. The most important thing is your family and taking care of each other and loving each other no matter what." - Stephen Curry.
• "My father is my idol, so I always did everything like him. He used to work two jobs and still come home happy every night." - Magic Johnson.
• "I've got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end." - Larry Bird.
• "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
• "You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." - Jerry West.
• "I am Superman. And the only thing that can kill Superman is Kryptonite. And Kryptonite doesn’t exist." - Shaquille O'Neal.
• "The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not." - Charles Barkley.
• "A lot of young players don’t really know much about the history of the game and a lot of them are missing out on what the game is all about, especially the whole concept of sportsmanship and teamwork." - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Here are some cute basketball lines for social media captions by Parade:

• "You may be beautiful, but Cinderella is getting to this ball."
• "You miss 100% of the shots you never take.".
• "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.".
• "My heart is on that court."
• "Eat, sleep and breathe basketball."
• "It doesn't matter how tall you are. It's about how high you can jump."
• "Defend. Destroy. Dominate."
• "Keep calm and shoot on."
• "99% basketball. 1% everything else."
• "The courts are calling, and I must go."
• "Three-pointers only."
• "Blessed, a little stressed and basketball obsessed."
• "Dunk Mode On."
• "Don't make excuses. Make your free throws. "