Basketball Michael Jordan Quotes & Sayings

There is no such thing as a perfect basketball player, and I don't believe there is only one greatest player either. — Michael Jordan

I can never stop working hard. Each day I feel that I have to improve. Hardwork ... Determination ... I gotta keep pushing myself. — Michael Jordan

Basketball is not a collection of jams, but a social relation among players, mediated by Michael Jordan. — Guy Debord

Just imagine what would have happened if Michael Jordan quit after getting cut from his High School Basketball team? — JohnA Passaro

After Michael Jordan recently criticized President Obama's golf game, Obama responded by saying that Jordan should spend more time thinking about his basketball team, the Charlotte Hornets. Then Jordan said, 'Do you really want to talk about whose team got crushed this week?' — Jimmy Fallon

There is an immutable law in basketball: someone must fall for someone else to rise. Those at the top stay there only by beating down those just beneath them." 121

When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback — Michael Leahy

Michael Jordan was a cultural icon that everybody on the playground wanted to be. The Bulls dynasty was a huge part of my childhood and it was the peak of my basketball interest as a kid. — Macklemore

I truly love the game; I wouldn't be playing if I didn't love the game. I'm not getting paid astronomical dollars; it's truly for the love of the game of basketball. — Michael Jordan

I heave the basketball; I know it sails in a parabola, exhibiting perfect symmetry, which is interrupted by the basket. It's funny, but it is always interrupted by the basket. — Michael Jordan

I viewed it as a business, but I always viewed it as a game. An opportunity to show my skills, my basketball skills, amongst the best in the world. — Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Albert Einstein didn't speak until he was four years old and was considered not very bright. Oprah Winfrey was demoted from a news anchor job because she was thought to be unfit for television. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for lacking imagination. Thomas Edison was called stupid by his teachers. The Beatles were told they didn't have a great sound and rejected by Decca Recording Studios. Dr. Suess was rejected by twenty-seven publishers. Abraham Lincoln had a long list of failures, including eight election losses and a nervous breakdown. — Tim Suttle

People wouldn't think of making avant-garde cuisine at home. When people play basketball at home, they can't play like Michael Jordan. — Ferran Adria

In my prime I could have handled Michael Jordan. Of course, he would be only 12 years old. — Jerry Sloan

I think school is very important and I personally had a great experience at North Carolina, which helped shape me as a basketball player and a person. Every once in a while, you will have a player who can make the jump and have an immediate impact on the professional level, but most of the players who come out would absolutely benefit from going to college. — Michael Jordan

The NBA is the strongest professional sports league in the world. The league and the game is bigger than any one person, Michael Jordan included, and they always will be. I hope that today players, especially our young players, continue to recognize that simple fact. Nothing is more important than the game itself and the fans who support it. — Michael Jordan

It [would have] been very difficult. As I said, the rules ... but if the rules were put in place back when Michael Jordan was in his prime - no hand-checking, the game was more geared toward offense, wanting to promote scoring in the game - he could have probably got close. He did score 69. — Scottie Pippen

It doesn't matter if you fall down, it's whether you get back up. — Michael Jordan

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

Maybe it's my own fault. Maybe I led you to believe it was easy when it wasn't. Maybe I made you think my highlights started at the free throw line, and not in the gym. Maybe I made you think that every shot I took was a game winner. That my game was built on flash, and not fire. Maybe it's my fault that you didn't see that failure gave me strength; that my pain was my motivation. Maybe I led you to believe that basketball was a God given gift, and not something I worked for every single day of my life. Maybe I destroyed the game. Or maybe you're just making excuses. — Michael Jordan

Not only do I admire Jordan's accomplishments and his phenomenal basketball ability, but also the way he has conducted himself on and off the court. I don't think there will ever be another player to have the same impact on the game of basketball as Michael Jordan. — Elgin Baylor

Michael Jordan changed so much in basketball, he took his power to make a difference. It's so much going on in music right now and somebody has to make a difference. — Kanye West

For a competitive junkie like me, golf is a great solution because it smacks you in the face every time you think you have accomplished something. That to me has taken over a lot of the energy and competitiveness for basketball. — Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was a tremendous basketball player. — Lee Trevino

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

If a director brings a guy to their movie who does improv, they've got to let him do what he does - otherwise it's like bringing Michael Jordan to your basketball team and telling him to just pass the ball and don't shoot. — J. B. Smoove

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. — Michael Jordan

The good part about being famous is being able to help people. The hard part is every day you have to be in a good mood, because that is what people expect. You learn to get good at it. — Michael Jordan

Success doesn't stop when you get there — Michael Jordan

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

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. — Michael Jordan

A lot of people think that since I'm drunk in my stories, I must be drunk 24 hours a day. What kind of stupid logic is that? It'd be like if you saw Michael Jordan at a restaurant and were like, "Why aren't you in your basketball uniform?" I leave out way more than I put in. — Tucker Max

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

Michael Jordan, the basketball great, is a case in point. In a famous Nike commercial, he said: 'I've missed more than nine thousand shots. I've lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed.' For many the ad was perplexing. Why boast about your mistakes? But to Jordan it made perfect sense. 'Mental toughness and heart are a lot stronger than some of the physical advantages you might have,' he said. 'I've always said that and I've always believed that.' James — Matthew Syed

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

The basketball court for me, during a game, is the most peaceful place I can imagine. On the basketball court, I worry about nothing. When I'm out there, no one can bother me ... — Michael Jordan

When I met Michael Jordan on a basketball court at an athletic club - we hooped together in Chicago - he came to me and asked me if I wanted to do a song for his upcoming movie. I was like, 'Yeah!' I didn't even ask what it was. — R. Kelly

Michael Jordan is God disguised as a basketball player. — Larry Bird

I was the bridge between the Michael Jordan era and LeBron James era. — Allen Iverson

No matter how hard you work at your craft and no matter how successful you become, people just have to find something negative to hang on you. You can be the greatest ever at what you do, and people will still turn on you. Even with all the championships Michael Jordan has won, people say, "Well, he's a great basketball player but he's not socially conscious." The bar is always being raised as you go. The rules are always being rewritten. There's aggravation that comes with that, but that's part of what makes triupmh so swett. — Charles Barkley

Because I want every kid to be viewed as a person rather than as a member of a certain race does not mean that I'm not black enough ... Do they want me to be positive just for black kids and negative for everybody else? — Michael Jordan

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

He's very knowledgeable. That's the one advantage that I see in Kobe Bryant's career compared to Michael Jordan. Ten years into Kobe Bryant's career, we're seeing a very polished 27-year-old player who's probably got another seven or eight great years ahead of him. — Scottie Pippen

The great thing about [Michael] Jordan was that he made them want it just like he wanted it. And a lot of times like a lot of the basketball players, not to be getting on basketball, but, with a lot of the basketball players you might have one superstar on the team, and they're not willing to play up to par with the way he is, so they don't make it. But then you have some celebrities on the basketball team, and they don't know how to get along with each other! — Ginuwine

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

People ask me if I could fly, I said, 'yeah ... ' for a little while. — Michael Jordan

Basketball isn't my job. — Michael Jordan

Even though, physically, I can't do it, the mind says, 'Yeah, I can still do it,' and I still think I can do it better than most in the NBA, ... Driven From Within. — Michael Jordan

My fellow Wilmington, North Carolina native Meadowlark Lemon is a true national treasure. I watched him play for the Harlem Globetrotters when I was growing up and his skill with the basketball and dedication to the game were an inspiration not only to me, but to kids all around the world. — Michael Jordan

Magic Johnson is the best player who plays on the ground, and Michael Jordan is the best player who plays in the air. — John Paxson

Studies show that most people rate themselves well above average when it comes to ethical behavior. In fact, a newsmagazine poll asked people whom they thought would get to heaven. Bill Clinton was a toss-up, getting 52 percent backing from respondents. Former basketball star Michael Jordan did better, at 62 percent. Mother Teresa topped the two American men with 79 percent. But she was not the highest. That honor went to "yourself," with 87 percent. — Michael Wheeler

The man that got me into collecting sneakers in the first place was the man they call Michael Jordan. He was the one who kind of exposed me to the sneaker world - he was my favorite basketball player, and he had the best shoes. — Macklemore

If nobody will help you do it alone! — Michael Jordan

Man, meeting Michael Jordan for me was like.. black Jesus walking towards me. It was overwhelming to me to finally meet the guy I've looked up to my whole life. — LeBron James

Each time I step on the basketball court, I never know what will happen. I live for the moment. I play for the moment. — Michael Jordan

Accept a loss as a learning experience, and never point fingers at your teammates — Michael Jordan

After Michael Jordan had scored a play-off record 69 points - I'll always remember this as the night Michael and I combined to score 70 points. — Stacey King

Imagine Michael Jackson trying to play basketball or Michael Jordan trying to become a musician. They might not have been so successful if they would have chosen to do so. Regardless — Harshajyoti Das

For example, Michael Jordan earns $100million a year but continues to play basketball and remains a modest human being. — Franz Beckenbauer

I'm sorry to see it end. — Michael Jordan

Sometimes I wonder what it will be like to look back on all this. Whether it will seem real. — Michael Jordan

I can appect failure, but I cannot accept not trying. — Michael Jordan

People can fly. Some people fly higher than others, that's all. — Michael Jordan

Confidence allows you to progress in something you're attempting to accomplish, whether it's playing basketball or baseball or whether it's trying to succeed in business. — Michael Jordan

Well, (Michael) Jordan was definitely one of the kings of the game. There's no question that he was one of the more dominant figures. If you look at the top ten players of all time, he was certainly one of the most dominant guys. — Dominique Wilkins

It's a heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody. My job was to go out there and play the game of basketball as best I can and provide entertainment for everyone who wanted to watch basketball. Obviously, people may not agree with that; again, I can't live with what everyone's impression of what I should or what I shouldn't do. — Michael Jordan

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

There are some remarkable parallels between basketball and politics. Michael Jordan has already mastered the skill most needed for political success: how to stay aloft without visible means of support. — Margaret Thatcher

There are some rappers out there that I listen to, that I'm like: "You are really good but you could be like the Michael Jordan of rap if you applied yourself." There's a lot of people who are better at basketball than Michael Jordan, but Michael Jordan just wanted to be Michael Jordan, more. — Donald Glover

On the seemingly one-sided relationship between Michael Jordan and his shoe sponsors Nike- The company should change its name to Mike. — Alvin Robertson

I am privileged to have played basketball. — Michael Jordan

So, the next time you're out working on your game and they pass you the rock, don't just take it to the hole. Take it to the next level. Don't just bend rims. Bend expectations. Let them see you and feel you and by the very virtue of your love, the truth in your game, they will hear you. Let your game speak. — Michael Jordan

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. — Michael Jordan

I love sports. I've played basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, track and field growing up. — Michael B. Jordan

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

There have been times when I have failed. But there have never been times when I thought I would fail — Michael Jordan

My idol when I was growing up was Michael Jordan the basketball player because of his work ethic rather than his talent and because of what he went through to be as good as he was. — Justin Timberlake

Michael Jordan was blessed by God to play basketball and Roger Brown was the closet person to him I ever saw. I don't say that lightly. Roger was phenomenal. There was nothing he couldn't do. He was so quick he would trick people blind - I even saw him miss layups because he was laughing so hard at what he had just done to someone. — Mel Daniels

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