--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not about talent, it's about heart…" description: "\"It's not about talent, it's about heart. It's about who can go out there and play the hardest. They're not going to give us anything, so you've got to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/don-haskins-77563_giving_it-s-not-about-talent-it-s-about-heart-i_978640.png" --- # It's not about talent, it's about heart. It's about who… ![“It's not about talent, it's about heart. It's about who can go out there and play the hardest. They're not going to give us anything, so you've got to go out there and you've got to take it.” quote by Don Haskins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/don-haskins-77563_giving_it-s-not-about-talent-it-s-about-heart-i_978640.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/don-haskins-77563_giving_it-s-not-about-talent-it-s-about-heart-i_978640.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/don-haskins-77563_giving_it-s-not-about-talent-it-s-about-heart-i_978640.png) > “It's not about talent, it's about heart. It's about who can go out there and play the hardest. They're not going to give us anything, so you've got to go out there and you've got to take it.” Don Haskins ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success depends more on determination and effort than innate talent; one must actively seize opportunities. **In simple terms:** Heart and effort outweigh natural skill. Key Takeaway Play with passion and take initiative. Themes determination effort opportunity sportsmanship Mood motivational determined Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - team sports - career advancement - personal projects Key Concepts mindset grit initiative Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate heart in your pursuits? - What barriers might prevent you from taking initiative? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on effort may ignore structural barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) ## Related quotes > [When I play my hardest, I feel like I'm one of the best on the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/when-i-play-my-hardest-i-feel-like-i-m-one-of-the-best-on-the-floor/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [As a songwriter, simplicity - what not to do, what not to play - can be the hardest thing to achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/as-a-songwriter-simplicity-what-not-to-do-what-not-to-play-can-be-the/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [I wasn't always the biggest guy out there, muscle-wise, but I knew that every time I stepped out on the court, that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-bagley-iii/i-wasn-t-always-the-biggest-guy-out-there-muscle-wise-but-i-knew-that/) [Marvin Bagley III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-bagley-iii/) > [The hardest part about going undefeated is winning all my matches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cael-sanderson/the-hardest-part-about-going-undefeated-is-winning-all-my-matches/) [Cael Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cael-sanderson/) > [“Well, this I know: our best years are when we're working hardest and going right ahead when we can hardly see our way out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/well-this-i-know-our-best-years-are-when-we-re-working-hardest-and/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [I'm never going to stop trying and I'm always going to try my hardest and I'm never going to back down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelly-korda/i-m-never-going-to-stop-trying-and-i-m-always-going-to-try-my-hardest/) [Nelly Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelly-korda/) > [I have confidence in my game. I can get up and run the floor to the best of my ability, and above all, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-lavine/i-have-confidence-in-my-game-i-can-get-up-and-run-the-floor-to-the/) [Zach LaVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-lavine/) > [Frank's bands could play the hardest stuff and make it seem like no big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dweezil-zappa/frank-s-bands-could-play-the-hardest-stuff-and-make-it-seem-like-no/) [Dweezil Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dweezil-zappa/) > [It's not always the coach that gets the best out of the talent. It's the best player who gets his team to play the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-williams/it-s-not-always-the-coach-that-gets-the-best-out-of-the-talent-it-s/) [Jay Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-williams/) > [I've got the same mentality every time I step on the floor - play my hardest and just be locked in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-kuzma/i-ve-got-the-same-mentality-every-time-i-step-on-the-floor-play-my/) [Kyle Kuzma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-kuzma/) > [Whenever there is a big game and people don't think I can do it, I always play my hardest, and now it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/whenever-there-is-a-big-game-and-people-don-t-think-i-can-do-it-i/) [Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/) > [There I go again giving someone my heart to play with. they played it well. so well, I justt want to die now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/there-i-go-again-giving-someone-my-heart-to-play-with-they-played-it/) Patience > [Play my Heart and I will play yours double or Love me deeply and I will Love you Endlessly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherry-diaz/play-my-heart-and-i-will-play-yours-double-or-love-me-deeply-and-i/) [Cherry Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherry-diaz/) > [If my heart could play a song for you. It would still be the same song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-propst/if-my-heart-could-play-a-song-for-you-it-would-still-be-the-same-song/) [Lars Propst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-propst/) > [A man, a real man, a 'wonderful man,' will be too busy protecting your heart to play with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-a-real-man-a-wonderful-man-will-be-too-busy-protecting-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Don Haskins > [I played for the best coach who ever lived, Henry Iba. I wasn't intimidated by Adolph Rupp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-haskins/i-played-for-the-best-coach-who-ever-lived-henry-iba-i-wasn-t/) Don Haskins > [I really did not think a thing about playing five black players to start the game; they were our best players and deserved to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-haskins/i-really-did-not-think-a-thing-about-playing-five-black-players-to/) Don Haskins Explore all 3 Don Haskins quotes ## More Giving quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [You've touched people and known it. You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I don't think my relationship with the idea of womanhood is that attached to giving birth... like, I'm fully aware that I'll never give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-harrison/i-don-t-think-my-relationship-with-the-idea-of-womanhood-is-that/) [Patti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-harrison/) [Browse all 39,303 Giving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not about talent, it's about heart. 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