--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to compete at the highest level…" description: "\"I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and that's the NBA.\" — Larry Bird" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef4/larry-bird-8994_compete_i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level_2525273.jpg" --- # I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and… ![“I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and that's the NBA.” quote by Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef4/larry-bird-8994_compete_i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level_2525273.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef4/larry-bird-8994_compete_i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level_2525273.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef4/larry-bird-8994_compete_i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level_2525273.jpg) > “I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and that's the NBA.” [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competing at the highest level is the ultimate goal for an athlete. **In simple terms:** Aim for top competition. Key Takeaway Strive for elite performance. Themes sports ambition excellence Mood determined optimistic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - training regimens - career planning - team leadership - sports psychology Key Concepts Peak performance motivation Questions to Reflect On - What defines “the highest level”? - How to maintain passion after reaching it? A Different Perspective High competition can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [NBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nba/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody has to be ready to play and compete at the highest level. You can't control if someone is going to be out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-schroder/everybody-has-to-be-ready-to-play-and-compete-at-the-highest-level/) [Dennis Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-schroder/) > [You want to compete, and you want to compete at the highest level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-boone-pickens/you-want-to-compete-and-you-want-to-compete-at-the-highest-level/) [T. Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) > [When I was young, all I wanted to do was to compete, have fun and travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-gaylord/when-i-was-young-all-i-wanted-to-do-was-to-compete-have-fun-and-travel/) [Mitch Gaylord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-gaylord/) > [Always, I'm a competitor. Growing up, it's the same thing. I always wanted to compete and show how good I am. I did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markelle-fultz/always-i-m-a-competitor-growing-up-it-s-the-same-thing-i-always/) [Markelle Fultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markelle-fultz/) > [You wanted to compete against Michael Jordan, because they were the best. You wanted to beat them. Never once in my mind, I went,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/you-wanted-to-compete-against-michael-jordan-because-they-were-the/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [That's something I've always wanted to do, compete against other countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rozier/that-s-something-i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-compete-against-other/) [Terry Rozier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rozier/) > [It is difficult to take in how long you have been doing one thing when you compete at the highest level and always with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-alonso/it-is-difficult-to-take-in-how-long-you-have-been-doing-one-thing/) [Fernando Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-alonso/) > [The expectation is you want to compete at the highest level. You want to be able to make deep runs in the playoffs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-donovan/the-expectation-is-you-want-to-compete-at-the-highest-level-you-want/) [Billy Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-donovan/) > [I'm a competitor at the highest level. I like to compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-carter/i-m-a-competitor-at-the-highest-level-i-like-to-compete/) [Cris Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-carter/) > [I came up in battling and just wanting to compete. Even if you had no real problem with someone, you just wanted to compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-came-up-in-battling-and-just-wanting-to-compete-even-if-you-had-no/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [I always tried to be an all-around player. In college, I felt like I needed to add to my game to get to another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-kuzma/i-always-tried-to-be-an-all-around-player-in-college-i-felt-like-i/) [Kyle Kuzma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-kuzma/) > [Coming out of high school, I think it was good for me instead of going to college because college and the NBA are two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-howard/coming-out-of-high-school-i-think-it-was-good-for-me-instead-of-going/) [Dwight Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-howard/) > [I have always wanted to compete in the Olympic Games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ondra/i-have-always-wanted-to-compete-in-the-olympic-games/) [Adam Ondra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ondra/) > [I had a strong desire to become an archer from the very first time I tried it. I forgot my other ambitions. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-dong-hyun/i-had-a-strong-desire-to-become-an-archer-from-the-very-first-time-i/) [Im Dong-Hyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/im-dong-hyun/) > [I couldn't be messing around and acting like an 11-year-old if we expected to compete well. I wanted to compete well, because it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karch-kiraly/i-couldn-t-be-messing-around-and-acting-like-an-11-year-old-if-we/) [Karch Kiraly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karch-kiraly/) ## More by Larry Bird > [If there was a payment to the bank due, and we needed shoes, she'd get the shoes, and then deal with them guys at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/if-there-was-a-payment-to-the-bank-due-and-we-needed-shoes-she-d-get/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [I just shoot until I feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-just-shoot-until-i-feel-good/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [If you tell a teammate you're ready to play as tough as you're able to, you'd better go out there and do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/if-you-tell-a-teammate-you-re-ready-to-play-as-tough-as-you-re-able/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [Basketball has been my life and I worked at it so hard because I enjoyed it so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/basketball-has-been-my-life-and-i-worked-at-it-so-hard-because-i/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [When I was a player, I didn't expect my teammates to play the way I did. I did expect them to work hard every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/when-i-was-a-player-i-didn-t-expect-my-teammates-to-play-the-way-i/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [I've always been interested in jobs in the NBA. But I've been in this for 20 years and it might be time to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-jobs-in-the-nba-but-i-ve-been-in-this/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [You can make all the excuses you want, but if you're not mentally tough and you're not prepared to play every night, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/you-can-make-all-the-excuses-you-want-but-if-you-re-not-mentally/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [“I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-ve-got-a-theory-that-if-you-give-100-percent-all-of-the-time/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [I have always been confident in my skills and once the game got going I knew I was probably the best player on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-have-always-been-confident-in-my-skills-and-once-the-game-got-going/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [I don't think that once you get to one level, you can relax. You've got to keep pushing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-don-t-think-that-once-you-get-to-one-level-you-can-relax-you-ve-got/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you'll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/you-never-make-any-of-the-shots-you-never-take-87-of-the-ones-you-do/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [The best player I ever played with was Dennis Johnson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/the-best-player-i-ever-played-with-was-dennis-johnson/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-mean-the-greatest-athletes-in-the-world-are-african-american/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [Strength is not nearly as important as desire. I don't think you can teach anyone desire. I think it's a gift. I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/strength-is-not-nearly-as-important-as-desire-i-don-t-think-you-can/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [Basketball was always a game to me. One of the greatest things in life for me was to be able to play what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/basketball-was-always-a-game-to-me-one-of-the-greatest-things-in-life/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) [Explore all 76 Larry Bird quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) ## More Compete quotes > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [You don't go into the game to compete. You go into each game to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-newton/you-don-t-go-into-the-game-to-compete-you-go-into-each-game-to-win/) [Cam Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-newton/) > [The Way of the Sage is to act but not to compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-way-of-the-sage-is-to-act-but-not-to-compete/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [For me, it's more important to bring my level up and make sure that I can compete against guys in the top 100 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-shapovalov/for-me-it-s-more-important-to-bring-my-level-up-and-make-sure-that-i/) [Denis Shapovalov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-shapovalov/) > [I love to compete. That's the essence of who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/i-love-to-compete-that-s-the-essence-of-who-i-am/) [Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/) > [When I was young, all I wanted to do was to compete, have fun and travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-gaylord/when-i-was-young-all-i-wanted-to-do-was-to-compete-have-fun-and-travel/) [Mitch Gaylord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-gaylord/) > [“The secret to unseating great power, is not to move the other direction, but to compete directly against their goals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-secret-to-unseating-great-power-is-not-to-move-the-other/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [There are a lot of champions out there, a lot of great guys, but I think that the way I compete and my fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-pettis/there-are-a-lot-of-champions-out-there-a-lot-of-great-guys-but-i/) [Anthony Pettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-pettis/) > [“Successful people compete against themselves, not against other people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/successful-people-compete-against-themselves-not-against-other-people/) [J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/) > [Most people should be given a chance to compete in the Olympic Games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-the-eagle/most-people-should-be-given-a-chance-to-compete-in-the-olympic-games/) [Eddie the Eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-the-eagle/) > [The hardest skill to acquire in this sport is the one where you compete all out, give it all you have, and you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-reese/the-hardest-skill-to-acquire-in-this-sport-is-the-one-where-you/) Eddie Reese > [They wanted me to lead these young players, teach them the way to compete, when the only thing I should be worried about is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-kinsler/they-wanted-me-to-lead-these-young-players-teach-them-the-way-to/) Ian Kinsler > [For some people, success is a zero sum game. They think that if they push other people out of the way, fewer people can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/for-some-people-success-is-a-zero-sum-game-they-think-that-if-they/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [We can't live true to our set of values unless American educational system is strong. I really believe that if we don't get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/we-can-t-live-true-to-our-set-of-values-unless-american-educational/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I write what I like to read, and I enjoy love triangles in YA and adult fiction - not to mention in other media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/i-write-what-i-like-to-read-and-i-enjoy-love-triangles-in-ya-and/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) Browse all 999 Compete quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and that's the NBA.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Larry Bird" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level-again-and-that-s-the-nba/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level-again-and-that-s-the-nba/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef4/larry-bird-8994_compete_i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level_2525273.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef4/larry-bird-8994_compete_i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level_2525273.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef4/larry-bird-8994_compete_i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level_2525273.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and that's the NBA.” — Larry Bird", "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": "Larry Bird", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wanted to compete at the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level-again-and-that-s-the-nba/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-wanted-to-compete-at-the-highest-level-again-and-that-s-the-nba/#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 } } ] } ```