Basketball Is Life Quotes

Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.

I'm not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.

If you do the work you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.

Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you. That's truly about the game, and in some ways that's about life too.

These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess.

A leader's job is to develop committed followers. Bad leaders destroy their followers' sense of commitment.

Heart is what separates the good from the great.

Basketball is a team game. But that doesn't mean all five players should have the same amount of shots.

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.

The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.

My heroes are and were my parents. I can't see having anyone else as my heroes.

I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.

I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me . . . Failure always made me try harder next time.

I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen. I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.

You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.

In basketball - as in life - true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way.

Everyting negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise.

I don't want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.

Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball.

Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise

If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot.

There is no such thing as life in-between.

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.

You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.

In college I never realized the opportunities available to a pro athlete. I've been given the chance to meet all kinds of people, to travel and expand my financial capabilities, to get ideas and learn about life, to create a world apart from basketball.

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 and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.

If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.

I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.