--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a fantastic career. I loved being a…" description: "\"I had a fantastic career. I loved being a professional athlete.\" — Becky Hammon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/becky-hammon-17159_athlete_i-had-a-fantastic-career-i-loved-being-a_1064629.jpg" --- # I had a fantastic career. I loved being a professional… ![“I had a fantastic career. I loved being a professional athlete.” quote by Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/becky-hammon-17159_athlete_i-had-a-fantastic-career-i-loved-being-a_1064629.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/becky-hammon-17159_athlete_i-had-a-fantastic-career-i-loved-being-a_1064629.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/becky-hammon-17159_athlete_i-had-a-fantastic-career-i-loved-being-a_1064629.jpg) > “I had a fantastic career. I loved being a professional athlete.” [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She reflects on a successful athletic career and the passion she felt for the sport. **In simple terms:** She loved being a professional athlete. Key Takeaway Cherish and pursue what you love. Themes career fulfillment passion identity Mood reflective nostalgic Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - coaching - sports commentary - mentoring young athletes Key Concepts sports psychology career transition Questions to Reflect On - How can athletes prepare for life after sports? - What drives you to stay connected to your sport? A Different Perspective Athletic identity can make post‑sports transition challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Professional athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional-athlete/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [I was always anxious about whether I'd find a career I loved or be able to afford to buy a house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/i-was-always-anxious-about-whether-i-d-find-a-career-i-loved-or-be/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [When I was younger, I thought, 'Ok, I'm supposed to do this project because it'll help my career,' but that didn't work because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/when-i-was-younger-i-thought-ok-i-m-supposed-to-do-this-project/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [I was a newspaper editor in high school, and I truly thought of journalism as a career. I loved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/i-was-a-newspaper-editor-in-high-school-and-i-truly-thought-of/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [Well, I'm a writer by nature, and I got a little bit - a little taste of a daily fast-paced writing job, writing career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-gotti/well-i-m-a-writer-by-nature-and-i-got-a-little-bit-a-little-taste-of/) [Victoria Gotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-gotti/) > [Ive had a wonderful time, a great career. I wouldnt call it a career; it was what I loved to do. I never called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-franchitti/ive-had-a-wonderful-time-a-great-career-i-wouldnt-call-it-a-career-it/) [Dario Franchitti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-franchitti/) > [I played for nine different teams throughout my 22-year major league career and I loved every moment of every team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goose-gossage/i-played-for-nine-different-teams-throughout-my-22-year-major-league/) [Goose Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goose-gossage/) > [When you're young, it's hard to see the reality behind such a demanding career, but I loved it, and I couldn't see myself doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-louderman/when-you-re-young-it-s-hard-to-see-the-reality-behind-such-a/) [Taylor Louderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-louderman/) > [Don't get me wrong, by the time I finish I will have had a fantastic career. But you do sit there sometimes and think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonjo-shelvey/don-t-get-me-wrong-by-the-time-i-finish-i-will-have-had-a-fantastic/) [Jonjo Shelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonjo-shelvey/) > [I've had a blessed, blessed, fantastic career. I have no regrets whatsoever in my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-show/i-ve-had-a-blessed-blessed-fantastic-career-i-have-no-regrets/) [Big Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-show/) > [I've had a fantastic career. I can sleep at night, and I'm happy with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlyn-harris/i-ve-had-a-fantastic-career-i-can-sleep-at-night-and-i-m-happy-with/) [Ashlyn Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlyn-harris/) > [It's been marvellous. I've had a fantastic career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/it-s-been-marvellous-i-ve-had-a-fantastic-career/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [I've had a fantastic career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bellew/i-ve-had-a-fantastic-career/) [Tony Bellew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bellew/) > [I had a fantastic career at Chelsea. I was here for almost nine years, and it was great. I have nothing negative to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-essien/i-had-a-fantastic-career-at-chelsea-i-was-here-for-almost-nine-years/) [Michael Essien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-essien/) > [I had a fantastic career at Manchester United.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/i-had-a-fantastic-career-at-manchester-united/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [I'm incredibly ambitious, but I feel I've got a fantastic career, and I love the anonymity. I love that no one knows who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/essie-davis/i-m-incredibly-ambitious-but-i-feel-i-ve-got-a-fantastic-career-and-i/) [Essie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/essie-davis/) ## More by Becky Hammon > [The last reason I want to be hired is because of my gender. I want to be hired because you trust me, because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/the-last-reason-i-want-to-be-hired-is-because-of-my-gender-i-want-to/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [I'm up for challenges. I'm up for being outside the box, making tough decisions and challenges... And I'm a little bit of an adrenaline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/i-m-up-for-challenges-i-m-up-for-being-outside-the-box-making-tough/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [I was always with my dad and my brother. I know that if you can't keep up, you get left behind. So you learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/i-was-always-with-my-dad-and-my-brother-i-know-that-if-you-can-t-keep/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [Nothing in my life has really ever been easy. I've always been someone who did it uphill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/nothing-in-my-life-has-really-ever-been-easy-i-ve-always-been-someone/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [I feel like I've had 20 years of experience at a very high level, if you throw in college, playing overseas, I've played in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/i-feel-like-i-ve-had-20-years-of-experience-at-a-very-high-level-if/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [But when it comes to things of the mind, things like coaching, game-planning, coming up with offensive and defensive schemes, there's no reason why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/but-when-it-comes-to-things-of-the-mind-things-like-coaching-game/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [Hope and encouragement, especially hope, is probably one of the greatest things you can give another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/hope-and-encouragement-especially-hope-is-probably-one-of-the/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [If you don't want a female coach, don't hire one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/if-you-don-t-want-a-female-coach-don-t-hire-one/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [But I think in the midst of working, you can't get too crazy serious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/but-i-think-in-the-midst-of-working-you-can-t-get-too-crazy-serious/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [But, at the end of the day, you live in the world with billions of people, and everyone has a unique upbringing and experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/but-at-the-end-of-the-day-you-live-in-the-world-with-billions-of/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [And a pick and roll in the women's game is a pick and roll on the men's game... I mean, character, working for each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/and-a-pick-and-roll-in-the-women-s-game-is-a-pick-and-roll-on-the-men/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [Playing basketball for me is like breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/playing-basketball-for-me-is-like-breathing/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [For me, I think it's such a notable point to make that a leader had to believe, a leader had to see that potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/for-me-i-think-it-s-such-a-notable-point-to-make-that-a-leader-had-to/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [It's 2015, and I'm the first female coach in any of the major sports. That's ridiculous!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/it-s-2015-and-i-m-the-first-female-coach-in-any-of-the-major-sports/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) > [If I went to play for Lithuania or Latvia, no one would have talked about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-hammon/if-i-went-to-play-for-lithuania-or-latvia-no-one-would-have-talked/) [Becky Hammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) [Explore all 38 Becky Hammon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-hammon/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had a fantastic career. 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