--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I'm losing, they call me nuts. When…" description: "\"When I'm losing, they call me nuts. When I'm winning, they call me eccentric.\" — Al McGuire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/al-mcguire-11312_basketball_when-i-m-losing-they-call-me-nuts-when-i_2814414.png" --- # When I'm losing, they call me nuts. When I'm winning, they… ![“When I'm losing, they call me nuts. When I'm winning, they call me eccentric.” quote by Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/al-mcguire-11312_basketball_when-i-m-losing-they-call-me-nuts-when-i_2814414.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/al-mcguire-11312_basketball_when-i-m-losing-they-call-me-nuts-when-i_2814414.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/al-mcguire-11312_basketball_when-i-m-losing-they-call-me-nuts-when-i_2814414.png) > “When I'm losing, they call me nuts. When I'm winning, they call me eccentric.” [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker observes that critics label him differently depending on his success, reflecting how perception shifts with outcomes. **In simple terms:** Success changes how people label you. Key Takeaway Stay true despite changing labels. Themes perception success criticism Mood reflective confident Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - public speaking - team leadership - personal branding - media relations Key Concepts psychology sports culture identity Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain identity amid criticism? - What strategies help you stay consistent? A Different Perspective May oversimplify nuanced feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Eccentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eccentric/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [When I was losing, they called me nuts. When I was winning they called me eccentric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-when-i-was-winning-they-called/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [If you're poor and you do something stupid, you're nuts. If you're rich and do something stupid, you're eccentric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-heenan/if-you-re-poor-and-you-do-something-stupid-you-re-nuts-if-you-re-rich/) [Bobby Heenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-heenan/) > [They call me eccentric. They used to call me nuts. I haven't changed. The only difference between being eccentric and being nuts is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/they-call-me-eccentric-they-used-to-call-me-nuts-i-haven-t-changed/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [So I'm guessing you're Seven and Ten; What can you do?" I say as I find our rifles in the sand and hand each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/so-i-m-guessing-you-re-seven-and-ten-what-can-you-do-i-say-as-i-find/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [I chose the name "Padded Room," because, when I'm in the booth, it would be the padded room. When I'm in the booth, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-chose-the-name-padded-room-because-when-i-m-in-the-booth-it-would/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [Don't call me son unless you're going to include me in your will. (When Adolph Rupp called him, "Son.")](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/don-t-call-me-son-unless-you-re-going-to-include-me-in-your-will-when/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [This twenty-year-old boy was distinguished from childhood by strange qualities, a dreamer and an eccentric. A girl fell in love with him, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/this-twenty-year-old-boy-was-distinguished-from-childhood-by-strange/) [Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/) > [Eccentric is a difficult word because it's come to mean crazy. Avant-garde would be better. Eccentric is not "centric" in terms of having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/eccentric-is-a-difficult-word-because-it-s-come-to-mean-crazy-avant/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [May the state fence in the harmless mentally ill solely to save its citizens from exposure to those whose ways are different? One might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/potter-stewart/may-the-state-fence-in-the-harmless-mentally-ill-solely-to-save-its/) [Potter Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/potter-stewart/) > [I was watching Monster's Ball, which is a fabulous movie. It's just a little gem: beautifully shot, and shot in a way I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lyne/i-was-watching-monster-s-ball-which-is-a-fabulous-movie-it-s-just-a/) [Adrian Lyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lyne/) > [I know I'm funny, because I'm eccentric, I'm odd. I'm not what you expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-seldes/i-know-i-m-funny-because-i-m-eccentric-i-m-odd-i-m-not-what-you-expect/) [Marian Seldes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-seldes/) > [There is all the difference in the world between departure from recognised rules by one who has learned to obey them, and neglect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/there-is-all-the-difference-in-the-world-between-departure-from/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [“You can drink your soup ice-cold, but it's no longer soup; you can do eccentric things in life, but if you haven't been able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-can-drink-your-soup-ice-cold-but-it-s-no-longer-soup-you-can-do/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [What am I in most people's eyes? A nonentity or an eccentric and disagreeable man... I should want my work to show what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-am-i-in-most-people-s-eyes-a-nonentity-or-an-eccentric-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Al McGuire > [I just can't recruit where there's grass around. You gotta have a concrete lawn before I feel comfortable enough to go in and talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-just-can-t-recruit-where-there-s-grass-around-you-gotta-have-a/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Live every day as if it were Saturday night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/live-every-day-as-if-it-were-saturday-night/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/the-best-thing-about-freshmen-is-that-they-become-sophomores/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I let ballplayers yell back at me because I wasn't trying to prove I'm boss. I know I'm boss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-let-ballplayers-yell-back-at-me-because-i-wasn-t-trying-to-prove-i/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Help one kid at a time. He'll maybe go back and help a few more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/help-one-kid-at-a-time-he-ll-maybe-go-back-and-help-a-few-more/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I don't believe in looking past anybody - I wouldn't look past the Little Sisters of the Poor after they stayed up all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-don-t-believe-in-looking-past-anybody-i-wouldn-t-look-past-the/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [There's no one who's dropped on top of the mountain. You've got to work your way to the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/there-s-no-one-who-s-dropped-on-top-of-the-mountain-you-ve-got-to/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Remember, half the doctors in this country graduated in the bottom half of their class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/remember-half-the-doctors-in-this-country-graduated-in-the-bottom/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I don't think any decent human being enjoys recruiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-don-t-think-any-decent-human-being-enjoys-recruiting/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [God didn't miss any of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/god-didn-t-miss-any-of-us/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [The nicest thing about coaching is that one day you feel like you can play handball against a curb, and on other days you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/the-nicest-thing-about-coaching-is-that-one-day-you-feel-like-you-can/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I want my team to have my personality: surly, obnoxious, and arrogant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-want-my-team-to-have-my-personality-surly-obnoxious-and-arrogant/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Don't call me son unless you're going to include me in your will. (When Adolph Rupp called him, "Son.")](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/don-t-call-me-son-unless-you-re-going-to-include-me-in-your-will-when/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Every obnoxious fan has a wife at home that dominates him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/every-obnoxious-fan-has-a-wife-at-home-that-dominates-him/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [“13. “The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/13-the-only-mystery-in-life-is-why-the-kamikaze-pilots-wore-helmets/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) [Explore all 60 Al McGuire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) ## More Basketball quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-learned-so-much-from-sue-about-the-xs-and-os-of-the-game-of/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Basketball isn't just a sport to me ; it's my ecstasy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamira-robinson/basketball-isn-t-just-a-sport-to-me-it-s-my-ecstasy/) [Jamira Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamira-robinson/) > [It's similar to basketball: when you go to different gyms and win or lose, you learn something new. So when kids get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/it-s-similar-to-basketball-when-you-go-to-different-gyms-and-win-or/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I'm a competitive person. I love the game of basketball. I'm a gym rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-m-a-competitive-person-i-love-the-game-of-basketball-i-m-a-gym-rat/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [What I've talked about the entire series and throughout this playoffs is about intensity and effort, desire and will of our players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laimbeer/what-i-ve-talked-about-the-entire-series-and-throughout-this-playoffs/) [Bill Laimbeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laimbeer/) [Browse all 5,387 Basketball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I'm losing, they call me nuts. 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