53 Inspirational Basketball Quotes To Keep You Motivated

Basketball tests you in ways nothing else does.

Some days you don’t feel like practicing.

Some games you want to give up. But something keeps you going.

That’s where inspiration matters.

A reminder that the work is worth it. That every great player started somewhere.

These inspirational basketball quotes are from people who pushed through the doubt.

They’re perfect when you need that extra push.

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Inspiring Basketball Quotes for Instagram

“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.” — Michael Jordan

“As you keep shooting the ball, you become a better basketball player.” — Raekwon

“Basketball is like photography, if you don’t focus, all you have is the negative.” — Dan Frisby

“Basketball is a game with winners and losers, but if you play this game with your heart, you’re always a winner.” — C.M.

“The only important shot you take is the next one. Because no matter how hard you try, that is the only one you can still have an effect on.” — Jason Bumblis

“Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.” — Larry Bird

“Basketball also helps you learn to move your feet by playing defense and guarding guys, and that all carries over to playing football with staying square and having good footwork.” — Calvin Pryor

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

“You don’t play against opponents, you play against the game of basketball.” — Bobby Knight

“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

“Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God’s way to say nobody’s perfect.” — Shaquille O’Neal

“All the successful teams I’ve ever seen have three characteristics: They play unselfish, they play together, and they play hard.” — Larry Brown

“Play off your great player… great teams have a go-to player and they play off of him.” — Don Meyer

“Go up to the free throw line knowing you’re going to make it, not knowing you won’t miss.” — Hilary Ashmead

“It’s important for the young players to practice other ball games as well, basketball or table tennis. On the tennis court, you can improve your eye through a kind of overexertion.” — Rafael Nadal

“I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.” — Michael Jordan

“The hardest thing for a basketball player to do is dribble two really hard dribbles. You are flying, and then pull up and shoot a ball from 15, 17 feet. It’s the hardest thing in the game.” — John Calipari

“You always have to give 100%, because if you don’t someone, somewhere will give 100% and they will beat you when you meet.” — Ed Macauley

“When you miss a shot, never think of what you did wrong. Take the next shot thinking of what you must do right.” — Tony Alfonso

“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

“The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.” — Bill Russell

“You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you’ll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.” — Larry Bird

“I just love the game of basketball so much. The game! I don’t need the 18,000 people screaming and all the peripheral things. To me, the most enjoyable part is the practice and preparation.” — Bobby Knight

“Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” — Michael Jordan

“Basketball has taught me that no matter how unlikely something is, if you set a goal, and follow after that goal with all your heart, anything is possible.” — Ashley Graham

“The basketball skills I have, I’ve got because I work hard. When you work hard, I think you don’t have to be afraid of anything.” — Peja Stojakovic

“Basketball really is a metaphor for life — the intangible skills I have learned on the court, have helped shape the person I am today.” — Ashley Graham

“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

“Playoff basketball … you’ve got to treat every possession like it’s your last.” — Paul Pierce

“Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.” — Phil Jackson

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” — John Wooden

“Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.” — Kobe Bryant

“Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” — John Wooden

“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” — Michael Jordan

“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” — Kevin Durant

“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” — John Wooden

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” — Phil Jackson

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King

“If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail.” — Kobe Bryant

“Basketball is not just a sport. It’s a lifestyle, a way of life. It’s how I live, eat, and breathe.” — Stephen Curry

“The key is not the will to win… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” — Bobby Knight

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” — Tim Duncan

“You don’t have to be the best player on the team. You just have to be the best teammate.” — Chris Paul

“Basketball is a beautiful game when the five players on the court play with one heartbeat.” — Dean Smith

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky

“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” — Vince Lombardi

“If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.” — Pat Riley

“The only way to prove you are a good sport is to lose.” — Ernie Banks

“Winning means you’re willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.” — Vince Lombardi

“The best teams have chemistry. They communicate with each other and they sacrifice personal glory for the common goal.” — Dave DeBusschere

“A key basketball skill is imagery. The best players ‘see’ situations before they happen so they can be prepared.” — Dr. Jack Ramsay

“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” — Jerry West

“I treated it like every day was my last day with a basketball.” — LeBron James