NBA Quotes by John Wooden

Teamwork is not a preference, it is a requirement.

— John Wooden

Make friendship a fine art.

— John Wooden

When the legs go, the heart soon follows

— John Wooden

The team with the most talent usually wins.

— John Wooden

Drink deeply from good books.

— John Wooden

Build shelter against a rainy day.

— John Wooden

A player who makes a team great is better than a great player.

— John Wooden

A Coach must never forget that he is a leader and not merely a person with authority.

— John Wooden

The true athlete should have character, not be a character

— John Wooden

Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.

— John Wooden

Perfection is impossibility but striving for perfection is not. Do the best you can. That is what counts.

— John Wooden

Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.

— John Wooden

The best competition I have is against myself to become better

— John Wooden

Loyalty is a cohesive force that forges individuals into a team.

— John Wooden

It's important to keep trying to do what you think is right no matter how hard it is or how often you…

— John Wooden

Promise to think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best from yourself and others.

— John Wooden

Knowledge is not enough to get desired results. You must have the more elusive ability to teach and to motivate. This defines…

— John Wooden

Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special and that you value.

— John Wooden

You must have respect, which is a part of love, for those under your supervision. Then they will do what you ask…

— John Wooden

I found the bench to be the greatest ally when I had to make individuals comply with what was best for the…

— John Wooden

Team spirit means you are willing to sacrifice personal considerations for the welfare of all. That defines a team player.

— John Wooden

Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to…

— John Wooden

In 1948, I began coaching basketball at UCLA. Each hour of practice we worked very hard. Each day we worked very hard.…

— John Wooden

Motivating through fear may work in the short term to get people to do something, but over the long run I believe…

— John Wooden

Push yourself to keep improving or you'll stay as close to the bottom as you are to the top

— John Wooden

My philosophy of defense is to keep the pressure on an opponent until you get to his emotions

— John Wooden

Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings everyday.

— John Wooden

1. Be on time. 2. Never criticize a teammate. 3. Never use profanity.

— John Wooden

I would spend almost as much time planning a practice as conducting it. Everything was planned out each day

— John Wooden

The more concerned we become over the things we can't control, the less we will do with the things we can control

— John Wooden

Winning games, titles and championships isn't all it's cracked up to be, but getting there, the journey, is a lot more than…

— John Wooden

I do not judge success based on championships; rather, I judge it on how close we came to realizing our potential

— John Wooden

You'd like to see your team reasonably happy, but that's not your job. Gain their respect and get them to accept their…

— John Wooden