--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One thing when I started playing in the…" description: "\"One thing when I started playing in the league, I saw that a lot of guys are friendly. It's OK to be friendly, especially off the court. But on the cou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/joel-embiid-6639_court_one-thing-when-i-started-playing-in-the_272668.jpg" --- # One thing when I started playing in the league, I saw that… ![“One thing when I started playing in the league, I saw that a lot of guys are friendly. It's OK to be friendly, especially off the court. But on the court, I want to dominate.” quote by Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/joel-embiid-6639_court_one-thing-when-i-started-playing-in-the_272668.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/joel-embiid-6639_court_one-thing-when-i-started-playing-in-the_272668.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/joel-embiid-6639_court_one-thing-when-i-started-playing-in-the_272668.jpg) > “One thing when I started playing in the league, I saw that a lot of guys are friendly. It's OK to be friendly, especially off the court. But on the court, I want to dominate.” [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing friendliness off the court with competitive dominance during play, separating social rapport from performance goals. **In simple terms:** Be friendly socially, fierce competitively. Key Takeaway Separate camaraderie from competition. Themes sportsmanship competition focus Mood intense focused Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - team bonding - game strategy - leadership under pressure Key Concepts team dynamics competitive drive Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain respect while asserting dominance? - When should friendliness give way to competition? A Different Perspective Risk of alienating teammates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ## Related quotes > [I want to dominate the man's world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-want-to-dominate-the-man-s-world/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [I always say this to people: 'If Shaq can be in the NBA for 19 years and dominate for 19 years using his body,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-love/i-always-say-this-to-people-if-shaq-can-be-in-the-nba-for-19-years/) [Rico Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-love/) > [I want to go in there and dominate every time I fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-want-to-go-in-there-and-dominate-every-time-i-fight/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [We want to dominate, we want to entertain the crowd and play in a very positive way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-vertonghen/we-want-to-dominate-we-want-to-entertain-the-crowd-and-play-in-a-very/) [Jan Vertonghen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-vertonghen/) > [There are players out there who want to dominate and keep their opponent sitting down. They want to make centuries and win frames at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hendry/there-are-players-out-there-who-want-to-dominate-and-keep-their/) [Stephen Hendry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hendry/) > [When I'm out on the court, I want to dominate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breanna-stewart/when-i-m-out-on-the-court-i-want-to-dominate/) [Breanna Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breanna-stewart/) > [“If you really want to dominate the competition and make big bucks, you’ve got to be the best. Do that, be that, and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/if-you-really-want-to-dominate-the-competition-and-make-big-bucks-you/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [I want to dominate a little more, just be a level beyond everyone else. I expect that from myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/i-want-to-dominate-a-little-more-just-be-a-level-beyond-everyone-else/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [I just want to dominate. When I say dominate, I'm talking about me getting a finish or me breaking my opponent. When I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillon-danis/i-just-want-to-dominate-when-i-say-dominate-i-m-talking-about-me/) [Dillon Danis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillon-danis/) > [Any time you go on the field, you want to dominate as a unit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-donald/any-time-you-go-on-the-field-you-want-to-dominate-as-a-unit/) [Aaron Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-donald/) > [The quarter horse game is more laid back. I think those guys are more friendly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-baffert/the-quarter-horse-game-is-more-laid-back-i-think-those-guys-are-more/) [Bob Baffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-baffert/) > [I'm trying to dominate, and if you dominate, you're going to be hated because you're going to talk so much stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/i-m-trying-to-dominate-and-if-you-dominate-you-re-going-to-be-hated/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [I'm going to be honest, playing in D-League games is tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/i-m-going-to-be-honest-playing-in-d-league-games-is-tough/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [My thing is, I want to play basketball, I would enjoy playing in the D-League, but at the same time I don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finley/my-thing-is-i-want-to-play-basketball-i-would-enjoy-playing-in-the-d/) [Michael Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finley/) > [We all understand it's a privilege just to be playing in this league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/we-all-understand-it-s-a-privilege-just-to-be-playing-in-this-league/) [Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/) ## More by Joel Embiid > [If I play against you the first time - or it doesn't even have to be the first time - and you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/if-i-play-against-you-the-first-time-or-it-doesn-t-even-have-to-be/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [When I look at myself, I'm not a big man - I'm a guard. I can do everything on the basketball court. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/when-i-look-at-myself-i-m-not-a-big-man-i-m-a-guard-i-can-do/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [If I feel great and my body feels great and my knee is fine, I should play 30 minutes or more. I definitely have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/if-i-feel-great-and-my-body-feels-great-and-my-knee-is-fine-i-should/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [My very first scrimmage at Kansas, I got dunked on so hard by Tarik Black that I almost quit. Tarik dunked on me so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/my-very-first-scrimmage-at-kansas-i-got-dunked-on-so-hard-by-tarik/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [We're always going to be trusting the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/we-re-always-going-to-be-trusting-the-process/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [Sometimes, I feel like I'm lost. But I've always said that I believe in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/sometimes-i-feel-like-i-m-lost-but-i-ve-always-said-that-i-believe-in/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [When I play '2K,' I'll play in GM mode. And I choose different teams. But I always trade for myself because I'm unstoppable. Literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/when-i-play-2k-i-ll-play-in-gm-mode-and-i-choose-different-teams-but/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [I want people to say that an African basketball player is the best player in the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/i-want-people-to-say-that-an-african-basketball-player-is-the-best/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [When I sat down with Under Armour, one of the first things we talked about was how this can be bigger than just shoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/when-i-sat-down-with-under-armour-one-of-the-first-things-we-talked/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [Everything in my life happens really fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/everything-in-my-life-happens-really-fast/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [I had this DVD that my coach in Cameroon had mailed to me when I first came to America. It was an hour-long tape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/i-had-this-dvd-that-my-coach-in-cameroon-had-mailed-to-me-when-i/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [I wanted to become president, and I wanted to become an astronaut. Because I was really good at math.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/i-wanted-to-become-president-and-i-wanted-to-become-an-astronaut/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [When I started playing ball as a junior, I'm kind of glad that I was never good enough to be highly recruited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/when-i-started-playing-ball-as-a-junior-i-m-kind-of-glad-that-i-was/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [I'm really not an injury-prone player. I just had that one injury that took, like, two years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/i-m-really-not-an-injury-prone-player-i-just-had-that-one-injury-that/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [I'm actually really good at everything I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/i-m-actually-really-good-at-everything-i-do/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) [Explore all 98 Joel Embiid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) ## More Court quotes > [Long before the 2016 presidential campaign, confidential sources had alerted me to longstanding misuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court system and the erosion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyl-attkisson/long-before-the-2016-presidential-campaign-confidential-sources-had/) [Sharyl Attkisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyl-attkisson/) > [I have always worked really hard off the court. I think it's helped me play more consistently on the tour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-draper/i-have-always-worked-really-hard-off-the-court-i-think-it-s-helped-me/) [Jack Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-draper/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) Gene Scott > [They will find somebody younger, somebody funnier, somebody more engaged. As long as the court genre is viable, people are going to be looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/they-will-find-somebody-younger-somebody-funnier-somebody-more/) [Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/) > [A federal court has ruled that the U.S. Postal Service must reduce its stamp prices. 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To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [In a recent decision of the Supreme Court, not made, however, by the full court, and concurred in by only four justices, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bates-clark/in-a-recent-decision-of-the-supreme-court-not-made-however-by-the/) [John Bates Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bates-clark/) > [I try to be the clown and court jester and make people laugh. At the same time, you have people in the hospital who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-simmons/i-try-to-be-the-clown-and-court-jester-and-make-people-laugh-at-the/) [Richard Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-simmons/) > [When I went to law school, which after all was back in the dark ages, we never looked beyond our borders for precedents. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/when-i-went-to-law-school-which-after-all-was-back-in-the-dark-ages/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [What's going on in my life, I never bring it to the basketball court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemba-walker/what-s-going-on-in-my-life-i-never-bring-it-to-the-basketball-court/) [Kemba Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemba-walker/) > [One or two years ago, I didn't know who I was on court and I used to swear a lot. But now I've learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-federer/one-or-two-years-ago-i-didn-t-know-who-i-was-on-court-and-i-used-to/) [Roger Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-federer/) > [Off the court, I tend to stick to the classics, but I like to have fun with color and accessories. I'm from Spain, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-hilfiger/off-the-court-i-tend-to-stick-to-the-classics-but-i-like-to-have-fun/) [Tommy Hilfiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-hilfiger/) > [There was a man named Robert Dear who in court said he was a warrior for the babies, whose ex-wife talked about his Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/there-was-a-man-named-robert-dear-who-in-court-said-he-was-a-warrior/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) [Browse all 4,024 Court quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One thing when I started playing in the league, I saw that a lot of guys are friendly. It's OK to be friendly, especially off the court. 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