Bad shooters are always open. ~ Pete Carril

Winning is having the whole team on the same page. ~ Bill Walton

A team is a fist—not five fingers. ~ Mike Krzyzewski

Any old coach will say the game was meant for finesse. It’s a beautiful game, especially on television. ~ Dean Smith

Basketball is not a democratic sport. ~ Patrick Hunt

Basketball is sharing. ~ Phil Jackson

Defense is what matters. Scoring doesn't interest me. ~ David Robinson

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

If you have kids, have them start shooting hoops instead of humans. ~ Jack Thompson

In basketball, you need to snatch a rebound as if you own the ball, as if you’re starving and it’s the last coconut on the tree. ~ Mariah Burton

Once I get the ball, you're at my mercy. There is nothing you can say or do about it. I own the ball....When I'm on my game, I don't think there's anybody that can stop me. ~ Michael Jordan

Once you become a good person, then you have a chance of becoming a good basketball player. ~ John Wooden

The best defense is a powerful offense. ~ Ernest A. Blood

The first time I shot the hook, I was in fourth grade, and I was about five feet eight inches tall. I put the ball up and felt totally at ease with the shot. I was completely confident it would go in and I've been shooting it ever since. ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not. ~ Charles Barkley

These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess. ~ Kobe Bryant

When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro. ~ Larry Bird

The only correct actions are those that demand no explanation and no apology. ~ Red Auerbach

Basketball came to me and for some reason it gave me an opportunity to live a life that I didn’t dream possible. But it did let me live my dreams. ~ Jerry West