--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started playing ball as a junior…" description: "\"When I started playing ball as a junior, I'm kind of glad that I was never good enough to be highly recruited.\" — Joel Embiid" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/349/joel-embiid-6639_enough_when-i-started-playing-ball-as-a-junior_446168.jpg" --- # When I started playing ball as a junior, I'm kind of glad… ![“When I started playing ball as a junior, I'm kind of glad that I was never good enough to be highly recruited.” quote by Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/349/joel-embiid-6639_enough_when-i-started-playing-ball-as-a-junior_446168.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/349/joel-embiid-6639_enough_when-i-started-playing-ball-as-a-junior_446168.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/349/joel-embiid-6639_enough_when-i-started-playing-ball-as-a-junior_446168.jpg) > “When I started playing ball as a junior, I'm kind of glad that I was never good enough to be highly recruited.” [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. Not being highly recruited allowed freedom to develop without pressure, leading to personal growth. **In simple terms:** Low expectations can be freeing. Key Takeaway Embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth. Themes sports self‑belief resilience Mood reflective optimistic Type personal motivational When to use this quote - college athletics - personal training - career transitions Key Concepts underdog mindset career development Questions to Reflect On - What setbacks have helped you grow? - How do you stay motivated without external validation? A Different Perspective Not all setbacks lead to success; effort still matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ball Junior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ball-junior-3902442/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Highly Recruited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highly-recruited-3902443/) [Junior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/junior/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Recruited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recruited-844606/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-playing-257076/) ## Related quotes > [I wasn't a very highly recruited guy out of high school... It's always a chip I've had on my shoulder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collins/i-wasn-t-a-very-highly-recruited-guy-out-of-high-school-it-s-always-a/) [John Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collins/) > [Coming out of high school, I wasn't really highly recruited because I was still learning the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-wagner/coming-out-of-high-school-i-wasn-t-really-highly-recruited-because-i/) [Bobby Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-wagner/) > [I started playing quarterback my junior year of high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-garoppolo/i-started-playing-quarterback-my-junior-year-of-high-school/) [Jimmy Garoppolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-garoppolo/) > [I had a set schedule since I was 15, since I started playing junior hockey. When you don't have that sometimes you try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pronger/i-had-a-set-schedule-since-i-was-15-since-i-started-playing-junior/) [Chris Pronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pronger/) > [I started playing basketball so late, it just means that anything is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/i-started-playing-basketball-so-late-it-just-means-that-anything-is/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [Back in 2011, I was kind of shy. I wasn't as good because that was the year, also, when I started playing basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/back-in-2011-i-was-kind-of-shy-i-wasn-t-as-good-because-that-was-the/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [I was a very underrated, under-recruited kid for my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrese-haliburton/i-was-a-very-underrated-under-recruited-kid-for-my-whole-life/) [Tyrese Haliburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrese-haliburton/) > [“TL;DR: I got recruited out of a park to prevent Tristan from getting his ass kicked in a swordfight and they found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/tl-dr-i-got-recruited-out-of-a-park-to-prevent-tristan-from-getting/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [No one ever wanted to hire me. Ever. I've never been recruited anywhere. I have beat my head against every wall, at every place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pelley/no-one-ever-wanted-to-hire-me-ever-i-ve-never-been-recruited-anywhere/) [Scott Pelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pelley/) > [My little scam in April '85 went like this: Give me $50,000; here's some names of some people we've recruited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/my-little-scam-in-april-85-went-like-this-give-me-50-000-here-s-some/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [Just coming from where I'm from gave me that chip on my shoulder. Not being recruited or receiving recognition added to it and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-morant/just-coming-from-where-i-m-from-gave-me-that-chip-on-my-shoulder-not/) [Ja Morant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-morant/) > [When the National Security Agency recruited me, they put me through a day of lie detector tests. They found out all my weaknesses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/when-the-national-security-agency-recruited-me-they-put-me-through-a/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“The look I told you I saw in your eyes. Years ago, when you were recruited for the Special Activities Division. I told you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-warren/the-look-i-told-you-i-saw-in-your-eyes-years-ago-when-you-were/) [Andrew Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-warren/) > [I hated leaving a hole in the smoking world, and so I recruited someone to take my place. People have given me a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-hated-leaving-a-hole-in-the-smoking-world-and-so-i-recruited/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“I was recruited by the dead,’ Zak said. ‘Not in any rush to join them in their silence, but from the urgent need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-egan/i-was-recruited-by-the-dead-zak-said-not-in-any-rush-to-join-them-in/) [Greg Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-egan/) ## 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. 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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/) > [One thing when I started playing in the league, I saw that a lot of guys are friendly. 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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/) > [I'm really not an injury-prone player. 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