--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you make every game a life and death…" description: "\"If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot.\" — Dean Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/dean-smith-12433_basketball_if-you-make-every-game-a-life-and-death_2507594.jpg" --- # If you make every game a life and death proposition… ![“If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot.” quote by Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/dean-smith-12433_basketball_if-you-make-every-game-a-life-and-death_2507594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/dean-smith-12433_basketball_if-you-make-every-game-a-life-and-death_2507594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/dean-smith-12433_basketball_if-you-make-every-game-a-life-and-death_2507594.jpg) > “If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot.” [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treating competition as life‑or‑death creates excessive pressure and frequent failure. **In simple terms:** High stakes cause frequent loss. Key Takeaway Avoid extreme pressure. Themes competition stress risk Mood anxious reflective Type cautionary motivational When to use this quote - sports coaching - business decisions - personal goals - team management Key Concepts psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance risk and reward? - When is pressure beneficial? A Different Perspective Constant high pressure can lead to burnout and poor decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [“If you make every game a life-and-death thing, you’re going to have problems. You’ll be dead a lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/if-you-make-every-game-a-life-and-death-thing-you-re-going-to-have/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [“You know you're having a seriously fucked-up day when ontology becomes a life-or-death proposition”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/you-know-you-re-having-a-seriously-fucked-up-day-when-ontology/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, youll die a lot of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/if-you-treat-every-situation-as-a-life-and-death-matter-youll-die-a/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [“If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you'll die a lot of times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/if-you-treat-every-situation-as-a-life-and-death-matter-you-ll-die-a/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Apart the lovers could neither live nor die, for it was life and death together..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-dier/apart-the-lovers-could-neither-live-nor-die-for-it-was-life-and-death/) [Joseph Bédier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-dier/) > [“This is indeed only a game, but it is a game of life and death!” the Reverend John Hollidge of Gold Hill Baptist Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-m-ewalt/this-is-indeed-only-a-game-but-it-is-a-game-of-life-and-death-the/) David M. Ewalt > [Life and death matters, yes. And the question of how to behave in this world, how to go in the face of everything. Time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/life-and-death-matters-yes-and-the-question-of-how-to-behave-in-this/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [“I walk with a dual longing for life and for death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-lee-houghton/i-walk-with-a-dual-longing-for-life-and-for-death/) Melissa Lee-Houghton > [Life and death were so unpredictable. So close to each other. We existed moment to moment, never knowing who would be the next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-and-death-were-so-unpredictable-so-close-to-each-other-we/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Certainly there is life and there is death, but even in death, if we look closely enough, we will find grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-anderson/certainly-there-is-life-and-there-is-death-but-even-in-death-if-we/) [Jeffrey R. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-anderson/) > [I have wondered why is it that some people are less affected and torn by the verities of life and death that others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-wondered-why-is-it-that-some-people-are-less-affected-and-torn/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I've handed life and death back to the people who do the living and the dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-bester/i-ve-handed-life-and-death-back-to-the-people-who-do-the-living-and/) [Alfred Bester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-bester/) > [Life and death, union and separation, follow hard upon one another. Nothing is steadfast but the will, nothing endures but one's achieve­ments. These alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshida-shoin/life-and-death-union-and-separation-follow-hard-upon-one-another/) [Yoshida Shoin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshida-shoin/) > [Life and death are balanced on the edge of a razor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-and-death-are-balanced-on-the-edge-of-a-razor/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Dean Smith > [You should never be proud of doing the right thing. You should just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/you-should-never-be-proud-of-doing-the-right-thing-you-should-just-do/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [“If you do what we ask you to do, the victories will belong to you, and the losses to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/if-you-do-what-we-ask-you-to-do-the-victories-will-belong-to-you-and/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [The best way to build team chemistry is the way Rupp used to substitute, when they fouled out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/the-best-way-to-build-team-chemistry-is-the-way-rupp-used-to/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [The real issue is not if a crossing is put in, but when. It would be negligent on the part of Union Pacific and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/the-real-issue-is-not-if-a-crossing-is-put-in-but-when-it-would-be/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [A leader's job is to develop committed followers. Bad leaders destroy their followers' sense of commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/a-leader-s-job-is-to-develop-committed-followers-bad-leaders-destroy/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [The focus should be on the players. I'm here a long time. You can call me in the summer. Our seniors will be gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/the-focus-should-be-on-the-players-i-m-here-a-long-time-you-can-call/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [As soon as you try to describe a close friendship, it loses something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/as-soon-as-you-try-to-describe-a-close-friendship-it-loses-something/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [The truly free person in society is a disciplined person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/the-truly-free-person-in-society-is-a-disciplined-person/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [I would never recruit a player who yells at his teammates, disrespected his high school coach, or scores 33 points a game and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/i-would-never-recruit-a-player-who-yells-at-his-teammates/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [I just think we shouldn't get into counting coaches' records. I've never been for that... but I know that's just American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/i-just-think-we-shouldn-t-get-into-counting-coaches-records-i-ve/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [A lion never roars after a kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/a-lion-never-roars-after-a-kill/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [“Play hard. Play smart. Play together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/play-hard-play-smart-play-together/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [The most important thing in good leadership is truly caring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/the-most-important-thing-in-good-leadership-is-truly-caring/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [One player's selfish attitude can poison a locker room and make it hard, if not impossible, to establish team work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/one-player-s-selfish-attitude-can-poison-a-locker-room-and-make-it/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [I know a lawyer who'd love to retire and be an assistant coach. I mean, it's fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/i-know-a-lawyer-who-d-love-to-retire-and-be-an-assistant-coach-i-mean/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) [Explore all 55 Dean Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) ## 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. 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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. 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