--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There has never been a great athlete who…" description: "\"There has never been a great athlete who died not knowing what pain is.\" — Bill Bradley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/846/bill-bradley-10244_athlete_there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who_2644495.png" --- # There has never been a great athlete who died not knowing… ![“There has never been a great athlete who died not knowing what pain is.” quote by Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/846/bill-bradley-10244_athlete_there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who_2644495.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/846/bill-bradley-10244_athlete_there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who_2644495.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/846/bill-bradley-10244_athlete_there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who_2644495.png) > “There has never been a great athlete who died not knowing what pain is.” [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great athletes understand pain through experience, not ignorance. **In simple terms:** Athletes know pain intimately. Key Takeaway Embrace discomfort as growth. Themes sports resilience pain awareness Mood motivational cautious Type sports health When to use this quote - training regimens - rehabilitation - competition Key Concepts mental toughness physical endurance Questions to Reflect On - How does pain inform performance? - Can ignoring pain be detrimental? A Different Perspective Pain can be ignored, leading to injury. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [When I started out as a little kid, I didn't say 'I just want to run football.' I wanted to be a great athlete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herschel-walker/when-i-started-out-as-a-little-kid-i-didn-t-say-i-just-want-to-run/) [Herschel Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herschel-walker/) > [Gina Carano is a great athlete, and I'd be happy if she returns to MMA - doesn't matter if it's against Ronda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-cyborg/gina-carano-is-a-great-athlete-and-i-d-be-happy-if-she-returns-to-mma/) [Cris Cyborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-cyborg/) > [You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/you-have-to-believe-in-yourself-when-no-one-else-does/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [You can kick a ball into the net, throw a basketball into the net. Tennis is complicated. It'll make a lot of great athletes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-courier/you-can-kick-a-ball-into-the-net-throw-a-basketball-into-the-net/) [Jim Courier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-courier/) > [I want to see all the countries in the world and learn all the languages. I want to have thousands of friends and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-nyad/i-want-to-see-all-the-countries-in-the-world-and-learn-all-the/) [Diana Nyad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-nyad/) > [The main thing about Bruce Lee is that, he was a little guy. And you know, his quickness, his aggressiveness, his explosive power, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/the-main-thing-about-bruce-lee-is-that-he-was-a-little-guy-and-you/) [Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/) > [But as much as I am personally proud for winning five championships, I'm equally proud just being part of a women's division that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-stratus/but-as-much-as-i-am-personally-proud-for-winning-five-championships-i/) [Trish Stratus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-stratus/) > [Golf has humbled, humiliated, and just about licked all the great athletes who tried it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-blaik/golf-has-humbled-humiliated-and-just-about-licked-all-the-great/) [Earl Blaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-blaik/) > [I always had that desire to become a great athlete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-jackson/i-always-had-that-desire-to-become-a-great-athlete/) [Lauren Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-jackson/) > [Even a foolish child can grow up in a right way,when he/she learns what pain is. Knowing pain controls ones thoughts and decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pain/even-a-foolish-child-can-grow-up-in-a-right-way-when-he-she-learns/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pain/) > [Knowing someone is in so much pain kills me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/knowing-someone-is-in-so-much-pain-kills-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is growing up different. It is extreme hypersensitivity. It is a bottomless pit of feeling you're failing, but three days later, you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-is-growing-up-different-it-is-extreme-hypersensitivity-it-is-a/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Because sometimes pain is knowing, and sometimes pain is sharing that knowledge with someone who loves you but can't do anything to help.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/because-sometimes-pain-is-knowing-and-sometimes-pain-is-sharing-that/) [Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/) > [When people get hurt, they learn to hate¦ when people hurt others, they become hated and racked with guilt. But knowing that pain allows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-get-hurt-they-learn-to-hate-when-people-hurt-others-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Bill Bradley > [Leadership is unlocking people's potential to become better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/leadership-is-unlocking-people-s-potential-to-become-better/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [I am more interested in experiencing life than in analyzing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/i-am-more-interested-in-experiencing-life-than-in-analyzing-it/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [I think the political process has degenerated into name-calling and extremism, and I think that that's unfortunate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/i-think-the-political-process-has-degenerated-into-name-calling-and/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [“Only one thing is inarguable: without a body of convictions, life becomes a series of events in futile pursuit of utopia on earth, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/only-one-thing-is-inarguable-without-a-body-of-convictions-life/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [We need to get beyond the politics of the moment, the deficit of the hour, the military count of the day, the numbers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/we-need-to-get-beyond-the-politics-of-the-moment-the-deficit-of-the/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [When you make speeches you elicit expectations against which you will be held accountable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/when-you-make-speeches-you-elicit-expectations-against-which-you-will/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [Basketball can serve as a kind of metaphor for ultimate cooperation. It is a sport where success, as symbolized by the championship, requires that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/basketball-can-serve-as-a-kind-of-metaphor-for-ultimate-cooperation/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [Princeton ignited my intellectual curiosity and introduced me to a new social world. It... challenged me on the most fundamental levels imaginable. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/princeton-ignited-my-intellectual-curiosity-and-introduced-me-to-a/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [I think Jeremy Lin is a really interesting player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/i-think-jeremy-lin-is-a-really-interesting-player/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [Legislating is a very human experience in which trust and mutual respect play critical roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/legislating-is-a-very-human-experience-in-which-trust-and-mutual/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [Look, I have no qualms about having played basketball. The game has done so much for me. Look at the places I've been, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/look-i-have-no-qualms-about-having-played-basketball-the-game-has/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [Becoming number one is easier than remaining number one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/becoming-number-one-is-easier-than-remaining-number-one/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [At the end of the Cold War, the prevailing view in Washington was that the U.S. was strong, and Russia was weak and did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/at-the-end-of-the-cold-war-the-prevailing-view-in-washington-was-that/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/ambition-is-the-path-to-success-persistence-is-the-vehicle-you-arrive/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [Give to another human being without the expectation of a return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/give-to-another-human-being-without-the-expectation-of-a-return/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) [Explore all 67 Bill Bradley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) ## 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": "There has never been a great athlete who died not knowing what pain is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Bradley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who-died-not-knowing-what-pain-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who-died-not-knowing-what-pain-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/846/bill-bradley-10244_athlete_there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who_2644495.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/846/bill-bradley-10244_athlete_there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who_2644495.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/846/bill-bradley-10244_athlete_there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who_2644495.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There has never been a great athlete who died not knowing what pain is.” — Bill Bradley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Bradley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There has never been a great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who-died-not-knowing-what-pain-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/there-has-never-been-a-great-athlete-who-died-not-knowing-what-pain-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```