John Wooden Quotes

I always stress condition with my basketball players. I don’t mean physical condition only. You cannot attain and maintain physical condition unless you are morally and mentally conditioned.

Never complain about the officiating. It does no good. During the game I don't want to be fighting two opponents.

Leaders must have patience for those under your supervision. Don't expect too much too soon. Maybe it was easy for you, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy for somebody else. Be sure you have patience.

The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.

Don't whine, complain, or make excuses.

Be at your best when your best is needed.

Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.

Next to love, balance is the most important thing.

Make greatness attainable by all.

If I were a young coach today, I would be extremely careful in selecting assistants.

In spite of all that doctors know, and their studies never end, the best cure of all when spirits fall is a kind note from a friend.

You better play together as a team or you sit.

Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings everyday.

Champions are brilliant at the basics.

If I did only what I wanted to do, I would not be obedient to the Creator. Sometimes He wants us to do certain things that we may not feel like doing. When it comes to what God asks of us, we need more than good intentions we need to follow through fully.

Respect every opponent, but fear none.

You have to work hard, and you have to enjoy what you're doing. If you don't enjoy it, no matter how hard you seem to work, you're not going to be working as hard as you can because you're not enjoying it.

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

The player who puts the ball through the hoop has ten hands.

Champions never complain, they are too busy getting better

You are no better than anyone else and no one is better than you.

I never let our players get satisfied, I never let our Coaches get satisfied, I was never satisfied. We can always do it better.

I'm glad I was a teacher.

Don't let the things you can't do get in the way of the things you can.

My assistants and I often would spend more time planning a practice than the actual practice itself

You have success within. It's up to you to bring it out.

The Good Lord in his infinite wisdom, did not create us all equal when it comes to size, strength, appearance, or various aptitudes. But success is not being better than someone else, success is the peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfacti on in knowing that you gave your best effort to become the best of which you are capable.

I always tried to make clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere.

It takes 10 hands to score a basket

Intensity makes you stronger. Emotionalism makes you weaker.

Mistakes come from doing, but so does success.

Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

Never be thrown off stride in how you behave or what you believe in because of outside events.

One of the greatest motivating things that a coach has is the bench. They all love to play, all of them. You sit them on the bench, and they come around pretty good.

We are many, but are we much?

Nobody is a real loser-until they start blaming somebody else.

Make every day your masterpiece.

Well, your greatest joy definitely comes from doing something for another, especially when it was done with no thought of something in return.

Being true to ourselves doesn't make us people of integrity. Charles Manson was true to himself, and as a result, he rightly is spending the rest of his life in prison. Ultimately, being true to our Creator gives us the purest form of integrity.

Strive to accomplish the very best you are capable of. Nothing less than your best effort will suffice.

Make each day a masterpiece.

I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn't try to run their lives.

Discipline of others isn't punishment. You discipline to help, to improve, to correct, to prevent, not to punish, humiliate, or retaliate.

Adaptability is being able to adjust to any situation at any given time.

Happiness begins where selfishness ends.

Mentors are available at all stages of your leadership life - early, middle and late. Seek them out and listen; absorb their knowledge and use it.

Surround yourself with people strong enough to change your mind.

I do not want players who do not have a keen desire to win and do not play hard and aggressively to accomplish that objective.