--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's hard to play well, but it's easy to…" description: "\"It's hard to play well, but it's easy to work hard.\" — Kevin Durant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/kevin-durant-2143_basketball_it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to_2912683.png" --- # It's hard to play well, but it's easy to work hard. ![“It's hard to play well, but it's easy to work hard.” quote by Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/kevin-durant-2143_basketball_it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to_2912683.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/kevin-durant-2143_basketball_it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to_2912683.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/kevin-durant-2143_basketball_it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to_2912683.png) > “It's hard to play well, but it's easy to work hard.” [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skillful performance requires talent, but effort is more accessible and reliable for improvement. **In simple terms:** Hard work is easier than talent for success. Key Takeaway Prioritize consistent effort. Themes sports effort skill development Mood determined focused Type motivational practical When to use this quote - training sessions - career development Key Concepts growth mindset deliberate practice Questions to Reflect On - What daily habits build your skill? - How can you stay motivated when progress stalls? A Different Perspective Talent still matters for elite levels. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Easy work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-work/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-play/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-easy-893879/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) ## Related quotes > [The tough player is the one who is difficult to play against and easy to play with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-bilas/the-tough-player-is-the-one-who-is-difficult-to-play-against-and-easy/) [Jay Bilas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-bilas/) > ['Faraway' takes only minutes or a couple of bus stops to play. The easy to use touch controls work beautifully on the iPad. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/faraway-takes-only-minutes-or-a-couple-of-bus-stops-to-play-the-easy/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [If I'm being honest, yes, I've always been into the underdog instead of the golden boy or guy with the easy life. It doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-lawther/if-i-m-being-honest-yes-i-ve-always-been-into-the-underdog-instead-of/) [Alex Lawther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-lawther/) > [I don't know how to play easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-knight/i-don-t-know-how-to-play-easy/) [Ray Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-knight/) > [I can play almost with everyone. Because it's not easy to play with all these guys. Some of them were at the same position,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-schroder/i-can-play-almost-with-everyone-because-it-s-not-easy-to-play-with/) [Dennis Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-schroder/) > [Endeavour to play easy pieces well and with elegance; that is better than to play difficult pieces badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-schumann/endeavour-to-play-easy-pieces-well-and-with-elegance-that-is-better/) [Robert Schumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-schumann/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“Work hard to play harder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rawson/work-hard-to-play-harder/) [Linda Rawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rawson/) > [I work hard and I play hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desean-jackson/i-work-hard-and-i-play-hard/) [DeSean Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desean-jackson/) > [You know me, I work hard, but I play hard, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/you-know-me-i-work-hard-but-i-play-hard-too/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [By working hard, you get to play hard guilt-free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/by-working-hard-you-get-to-play-hard-guilt-free/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Every time I get in the studio, I feel like I wanna have some fun. My fun is not doing the easy work. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/every-time-i-get-in-the-studio-i-feel-like-i-wanna-have-some-fun-my/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [You don't get anything easy. You have to work for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasprit-bumrah/you-don-t-get-anything-easy-you-have-to-work-for-it/) [Jasprit Bumrah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasprit-bumrah/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's easy to work with someone who shares your same work ethic, who likes to create like you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozuna/it-s-easy-to-work-with-someone-who-shares-your-same-work-ethic-who/) [Ozuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozuna/) ## More by Kevin Durant > [I just want to grow spiritually with the Lord,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-just-want-to-grow-spiritually-with-the-lord/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [You know, I think more people should watch women's basketball. It'd do so much for the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/you-know-i-think-more-people-should-watch-women-s-basketball-it-d-do/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [Or I could see Fish, Just a button up, Like a Mayor, Like a President, Just demands so much from his teammates, Has played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/or-i-could-see-fish-just-a-button-up-like-a-mayor-like-a-president/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [I don’t watch a lot of other basketball away from the gym. But I do look at LeBron’s box score. I want to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-don-t-watch-a-lot-of-other-basketball-away-from-the-gym-but-i-do/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [If I come to work every day and do my job, work as hard as I can, be a great teammate, the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/if-i-come-to-work-every-day-and-do-my-job-work-as-hard-as-i-can-be-a/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [It's fun that I get to live out my dream every single day. It's a blessing. I can't lose sight of that and I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/it-s-fun-that-i-get-to-live-out-my-dream-every-single-day-it-s-a/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [Last but not least my family. My brother Tony, I love you. Thank you for beating me up when I was a kid. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/last-but-not-least-my-family-my-brother-tony-i-love-you-thank-you-for/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [I play because I have fun. The vets of this team, I just wanted to say thanks to them. You guys mean so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-play-because-i-have-fun-the-vets-of-this-team-i-just-wanted-to-say/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [I'm just more content with myself. Like, if I've got something to say, I want to get it off of my chest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-m-just-more-content-with-myself-like-if-i-ve-got-something-to-say-i/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [I want the younger kids, the basketball players in high school and college to hear from me and let them know that when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-want-the-younger-kids-the-basketball-players-in-high-school-and/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [And last, my mom. I don’t think you know what you did. You had my brother when you were 18 years old. Three years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/and-last-my-mom-i-don-t-think-you-know-what-you-did-you-had-my/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [Russell... I love you. I thank you so much man. You made me better. You know, Your work ethic. I always wanted to compete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/russell-i-love-you-i-thank-you-so-much-man-you-made-me-better-you/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [I'm just trying to grow. That's one thing I told myself is, 'Don't worry about who people say is the best player'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-m-just-trying-to-grow-that-s-one-thing-i-told-myself-is-don-t-worry/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [People always think women meet us in the hotel lobby, but it's the opposite. The majority of the time, you go out to eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/people-always-think-women-meet-us-in-the-hotel-lobby-but-it-s-the/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [I'm here to shine a bright light. I'm not here to be a guy of death. I just like 'KD' better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-m-here-to-shine-a-bright-light-i-m-not-here-to-be-a-guy-of-death-i/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) [Explore all 183 Kevin Durant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) ## 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. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-learned-so-much-from-sue-about-the-xs-and-os-of-the-game-of/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Basketball isn't just a sport to me ; it's my ecstasy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamira-robinson/basketball-isn-t-just-a-sport-to-me-it-s-my-ecstasy/) [Jamira Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamira-robinson/) > [It's similar to basketball: when you go to different gyms and win or lose, you learn something new. 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. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I'm a competitive person. I love the game of basketball. I'm a gym rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-m-a-competitive-person-i-love-the-game-of-basketball-i-m-a-gym-rat/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [What I've talked about the entire series and throughout this playoffs is about intensity and effort, desire and will of our players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laimbeer/what-i-ve-talked-about-the-entire-series-and-throughout-this-playoffs/) [Bill Laimbeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laimbeer/) [Browse all 5,387 Basketball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's hard to play well, but it's easy to work hard.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin Durant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to-work-hard/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basketball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to-work-hard/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/kevin-durant-2143_basketball_it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to_2912683.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/kevin-durant-2143_basketball_it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to_2912683.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/kevin-durant-2143_basketball_it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to_2912683.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's hard to play well, but it's easy to work hard.” — Kevin Durant", "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": "Kevin Durant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's hard to play well, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to-work-hard/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/it-s-hard-to-play-well-but-it-s-easy-to-work-hard/#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 } } ] } ```