Michael Jordan Quotes

We're not winning because of talent. We're just beating bad teams.

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

My mother is my root, my foundation. She planted the seed that I base my life on, and that is the belief that the ability to achieve starts in your mind.

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.

My father used to say that it's never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, 'You never know what you can accomplish until you try.'

I want to play for years.

I took cooking classes when I was younger; girls weren't interested in me, and I thought I may be alone for the rest of my life.

Never think of the consequences of failing for you will always think of a negative result. Think only positive thoughts and your mind will gravitate towards those thoughts!

My most memorable dunk, that I think about very, very often, is the Patrick Ewing dunk.

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

I failed so therefore I succeed.

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

I can't speak for the future. I have no crystal ball.

Excellence isn't a one-week or one-year ideal. It's a constant.

Work ethics eliminates fear.

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

Focus like a laser, not a flashlight

Do I need my number retired throughout the course of the league to acknowledge what I've done? No.

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

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.

Ultimately, if you can say that I'm a bad owner and we're winning championships, I can live with that. But if we're not making the playoffs and we're spending and losing money, then I have to look in the mirror and say maybe I'm not taking the necessary steps to doing what it takes to run an organization.

I have failed many times, but I have never gone into a game expecting myself to fail.

Every time I feel tired while I am exercising and training, I close my eyes to see that picture, to see that list with my name. This usually motivates me to work again.

Another day, another opportunity to prove everyone who doubts you wrong.

Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.

If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.

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

When I step onto the court, I don't have to think about anything. If I have a problem off the court, I find that after I play, my mind is clearer and I can come up with a better solution. It's like therapy. It relaxes me and allows me to solve problems.

The best come from the worst

Purchasing the Bobcats is the culmination of my post-playing career goal of becoming the majority owner of an NBA franchise.

Live the moment for the moment.

You're an idiot. You've screwed up every play we ever ran. You're too stupid to even remember the plays. We ought to get rid of you.

learning 's a gift, even when "pain" ,s your teacher!

I'm not afraid to take a step and if I fall, I fall. I pick myself up and move on. If we can all learn one thing in life, it's don't be afraid to take on something that you believe you're capable of achieving.

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

Life is a sport...drink it up.

Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.

Success isn't something you chase. It's something you have to put forth the effort for constantly. Then maybe it'll come when you least expect it. Most people don't understand that.

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.

I want people to understand, gambling is not a bad thing if you do it within the framework of what it's meant to be, which is fun and entertaining.

I'm not a Twitterer, I'm not a twerker, I'm not a Facebooker. I am a ... nothin' ... I'm old school.

When I worked on my game, that's what I thought about. When it happened, I set another goal, a reasonable, manageable goal that I could realistically achieve if I worked hard enough. I guess I approached it with the end in mind. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and I focused on getting there.

I want to be the bridge to the next generation.

There are no shortcuts. I approached practices the same way I approached games. You can't turn it on and off like a faucet. I couldn't dog it during practice and then, when I needed that extra push late in the game, expect it to be there. Very few people get anywhere by taking shortcuts.

You remember the [remarks] you made in 1994 about, 'I think I can guard you, I can shut you down, I would love to play against you?' Well, you're about to get your chance.

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

I'm all about challenges and seeing if I can go out and see if I can achieve something. If at the end of the day I do it, great. If I don't, I can live with myself.

I never thought a role model should be negative.