--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a team sport but every player's ego…" description: "\"It's a team sport but every player's ego will kick in at a certain point.\" — Jay-Jay Okocha" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/jay-jay-okocha-6466_ego_it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego_550913.jpg" --- # It's a team sport but every player's ego will kick in at a… ![“It's a team sport but every player's ego will kick in at a certain point.” quote by Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/jay-jay-okocha-6466_ego_it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego_550913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/jay-jay-okocha-6466_ego_it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego_550913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/jay-jay-okocha-6466_ego_it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego_550913.jpg) > “It's a team sport but every player's ego will kick in at a certain point.” [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Team dynamics are challenged by individual egos over time. **In simple terms:** Egos disrupt teamwork eventually. Key Takeaway Balance ego with collaboration. Themes teamwork ego competition Mood motivational reflective Type leadership sports When to use this quote - sports teams - workplace projects - group decisions Key Concepts psychology leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep ego in check? - What strategies foster team harmony? A Different Perspective Ego can be managed with strong leadership. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Sport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sport/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Team sport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team-sport/) ## Related quotes > [I am not saying I don't think I'm good, but I'm not the type of player to have an ego or big myself up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-sterling/i-am-not-saying-i-don-t-think-i-m-good-but-i-m-not-the-type-of-player/) [Raheem Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-sterling/) > [A Word about Players: Ladies, what makes a player is that his ego is fed by the ability to be with multiple women. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-nathaniel-butler/a-word-about-players-ladies-what-makes-a-player-is-that-his-ego-is/) [Eugene Nathaniel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-nathaniel-butler/) > [This sport has never been about me. It's never been about one player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-gurley/this-sport-has-never-been-about-me-it-s-never-been-about-one-player/) [Todd Gurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-gurley/) > [Billy Beane was a guy who had been devalued by the sport as a player and now is working as a GM for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/billy-beane-was-a-guy-who-had-been-devalued-by-the-sport-as-a-player/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [Tennis is an individual sport and every player is different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peng-shuai/tennis-is-an-individual-sport-and-every-player-is-different/) [Peng Shuai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peng-shuai/) > [Think of the difference between a team sport and one that you do by yourself. Like it or not, if you're by yourself, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/think-of-the-difference-between-a-team-sport-and-one-that-you-do-by/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [Life is a team sport; it's not about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-enquist/life-is-a-team-sport-it-s-not-about-you/) [Sue Enquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-enquist/) > [“Success is always a team sport - even when it looks like a solo endeavour.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/success-is-always-a-team-sport-even-when-it-looks-like-a-solo/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [I was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or once and came third on another occasion. Could I have won it? Maybe. But I don't care.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul/i-was-runner-up-for-the-ballon-d-or-once-and-came-third-on-another/) [Raul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul/) > [As a player all you can do is play within yourself, even in the context of a team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-west/as-a-player-all-you-can-do-is-play-within-yourself-even-in-the/) [Jerry West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-west/) > [This is a team sport, a team game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/this-is-a-team-sport-a-team-game/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [“Sex is a team sport, sugar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherise-sinclair/sex-is-a-team-sport-sugar/) [Cherise Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherise-sinclair/) > [Business is a team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-brenneman/business-is-a-team-sport/) [Greg Brenneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-brenneman/) > [F1 is a team sport, not an individual sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-stroll/f1-is-a-team-sport-not-an-individual-sport/) [Lance Stroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-stroll/) > [Football is a team sport. I'm proud of what I achieved in my career, but I also know that I wouldn't have achieved any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schmeichel/football-is-a-team-sport-i-m-proud-of-what-i-achieved-in-my-career/) [Peter Schmeichel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schmeichel/) ## More by Jay-Jay Okocha > [People wonder why I chose to come to Bolton. There's a different pressure and mentality here to PSG, where we were expected to challenge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/people-wonder-why-i-chose-to-come-to-bolton-there-s-a-different/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [Winning the Carling Cup would be the ultimate for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/winning-the-carling-cup-would-be-the-ultimate-for-me/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [Sometimes money is not everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/sometimes-money-is-not-everything/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [You can't play football without having a good training pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/you-can-t-play-football-without-having-a-good-training-pitch/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [I know there are millions of football fans who love this game, but can see the world outside it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/i-know-there-are-millions-of-football-fans-who-love-this-game-but-can/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [It is always nice to play for the bigger teams, contesting titles and Champions League rather than relegation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/it-is-always-nice-to-play-for-the-bigger-teams-contesting-titles-and/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [I often come across Russians and they're all interested in football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/i-often-come-across-russians-and-they-re-all-interested-in-football/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [To be honest, I can live anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/to-be-honest-i-can-live-anywhere/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [Everybody wants to play in the Premiership and I like a big challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/everybody-wants-to-play-in-the-premiership-and-i-like-a-big-challenge/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [Well of course, as a fan I think I'd love to see Neymar play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/well-of-course-as-a-fan-i-think-i-d-love-to-see-neymar-play/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [My biggest opponent was 'me.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/my-biggest-opponent-was-me/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [I am an instance of what is possible with a lot of hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/i-am-an-instance-of-what-is-possible-with-a-lot-of-hard-work/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football for a decade and, given the nature of football, at a certain point the baton will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/messi-and-ronaldo-have-dominated-world-football-for-a-decade-and/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [I am grateful to God for that because people can still identify me with something in Germany.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/i-am-grateful-to-god-for-that-because-people-can-still-identify-me/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [I realized at a very young age that I had a gift to do special things with the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/i-realized-at-a-very-young-age-that-i-had-a-gift-to-do-special-things/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) [Explore all 99 Jay-Jay Okocha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) ## More Ego quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I'm a straight shooter, and most of the time my ego doesn't interrupt my relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-macht/i-m-a-straight-shooter-and-most-of-the-time-my-ego-doesn-t-interrupt/) [Gabriel Macht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-macht/) > [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) > [Heart surgeons do not have the world's smallest egos: when you ask them to name the world's three leading practitioners, they never can remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/heart-surgeons-do-not-have-the-world-s-smallest-egos-when-you-ask/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [I hate acting when I see it. I don't want to feel it, I don't want to see it, I want to be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/i-hate-acting-when-i-see-it-i-don-t-want-to-feel-it-i-don-t-want-to/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [It's a constant man-ego-check going on in the streets, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/it-s-a-constant-man-ego-check-going-on-in-the-streets-in-this-world/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [“... a man doesn't like to have his ego popped, especially when he prides himself on his sagacity, and then to be proved wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/a-man-doesn-t-like-to-have-his-ego-popped-especially-when-he-prides/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [Our real nature is not our imaginary, limited ego. Our true nature is vast, all-comprehensive, and intangible as empty space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anagarika-govinda/our-real-nature-is-not-our-imaginary-limited-ego-our-true-nature-is/) [Anagarika Govinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anagarika-govinda/) > [The man of wisdom is devoid of ego even though he may appear to use it. His vacant or fasting mind is neither doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-s-balsekar/the-man-of-wisdom-is-devoid-of-ego-even-though-he-may-appear-to-use/) [Ramesh S Balsekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-s-balsekar/) > [Show me success without ego!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivana-trump/show-me-success-without-ego/) [Ivana Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivana-trump/) [Browse all 3,462 Ego quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a team sport but every player's ego will kick in at a certain point.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jay-Jay Okocha" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego-will-kick-in-at-a-certain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ego" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego-will-kick-in-at-a-certain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/jay-jay-okocha-6466_ego_it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego_550913.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/jay-jay-okocha-6466_ego_it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego_550913.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/jay-jay-okocha-6466_ego_it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego_550913.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's a team sport but every player's ego will kick in at a certain point.” — Jay-Jay Okocha", "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": "Jay-Jay Okocha", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's a team sport but every...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego-will-kick-in-at-a-certain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/it-s-a-team-sport-but-every-player-s-ego-will-kick-in-at-a-certain/#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 } } ] } ```