The Best Quotes by Basketball Icons and Legends

After one of basketball world’s greatest icons, John Wooden, passed away last June 4, 2010, I created this simple slideshow in memory of the legacy John Wooden left us.

I have included in this slideshow sixteen of what I regard as the most motivational and inspirational quotes by other basketball icons and legends aside from John Wooden.

If you have other quote suggestions, feel free to comment.

“He is reunited with his beloved wife, Nell, now; and my thoughts and prayers are with his children, James and Nancy; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and all whose lives were forever changed because John Wooden lived his so well.” – US President Barack Obama,

Farewell, John Wooden. You will never be forgotten.

Bobby Knight

"You don't play against opponents. You play against the game of basketball."

Red Auerbach

"Basketball is like war in that offensive weapons are developed first, and it always takes a while for the defense to catch up."

Scottie Pippen

"Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team."

Dave DeBusschere

"The best teams have chemistry. They communicate with each other and they sacrifice personal glory for the common goal."

Steve Nash

"People have always doubted whether I was good enough to play this game at this level. I thought I was, and I thought I could be. What other people thought was really always irrelevant to me."

Charles Barkley

"If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!"

Larry Bird

"A winner is someone who recognizes his God- given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals."

John Wooden

"It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it."

John Wooden (Continuation)

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."

John Wooden (Continuation)

"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

John Wooden (Continuation)

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

Michael Jordan

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

Michael Jordan (Continuation)

"I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results."

Michael Jordan (Continuation)

"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."

Michael Jordan (Continuation)

"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."