--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I told my boys this: Somebody gotta be…" description: "\"I told my boys this: Somebody gotta be better than Michael Jordan. Why not you?\" — LaVar Ball" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/lavar-ball-9392_better_i-told-my-boys-this-somebody-gotta-be-be_2150317.jpg" --- # I told my boys this: Somebody gotta be better than Michael… ![“I told my boys this: Somebody gotta be better than Michael Jordan. Why not you?” quote by LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/lavar-ball-9392_better_i-told-my-boys-this-somebody-gotta-be-be_2150317.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/lavar-ball-9392_better_i-told-my-boys-this-somebody-gotta-be-be_2150317.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/lavar-ball-9392_better_i-told-my-boys-this-somebody-gotta-be-be_2150317.jpg) > “I told my boys this: Somebody gotta be better than Michael Jordan. Why not you?” [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encouraging youth to aim higher than past legends inspires personal excellence. **In simple terms:** Be better than the best. Key Takeaway Set higher personal goals. Themes motivation sports self-improvement Mood encouraging determined Type inspirational challenge When to use this quote - school sports - personal training - career planning Key Concepts role models competition mindset Questions to Reflect On - Who can you inspire to surpass? - How to balance ambition with realism? A Different Perspective Comparisons can create undue pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ## Related quotes > [Kobe Bryant will be better than Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-jackson/kobe-bryant-will-be-better-than-michael-jordan/) [Mark Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-jackson/) > [The only male singer who I've seen besides myself and who's better than me--that is Michael Jackson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/the-only-male-singer-who-i-ve-seen-besides-myself-and-who-s-better/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [I told my boys that one of them wasn't going to make it. Because if you've got three, only one, maybe two make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/i-told-my-boys-that-one-of-them-wasn-t-going-to-make-it-because-if/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [Gotta be a better way for me. Death is coming around the corner any day for me. Keep the snakes and the vulchers away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/gotta-be-a-better-way-for-me-death-is-coming-around-the-corner-any/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Gotta get better with time,relationships should never rewind..better leave it all behind,Guess that means you could never be mine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/gotta-get-better-with-time-relationships-should-never-rewind-better/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [Whether you like it or not somebody gotta be better than you in something, cuz you cant be good in everything, but the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/whether-you-like-it-or-not-somebody-gotta-be-better-than-you-in/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [I was just was tired of bending down, putting my hands in dirty water, ringing out a mop. So, I said, 'There's gotta be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-mangano/i-was-just-was-tired-of-bending-down-putting-my-hands-in-dirty-water/) [Joy Mangano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-mangano/) > [I come from playing sports. I compete, so I gotta be better than I was last year. I gotta get better, and that better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/i-come-from-playing-sports-i-compete-so-i-gotta-be-better-than-i-was/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [I don’t know what’s ahead,” I say. “I don’t know nothing about nothing but whatever it is, it’s gotta be better than what’s behind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/i-don-t-know-what-s-ahead-i-say-i-don-t-know-nothing-about-nothing/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [So God made girls... God made girls... He stood back and told the boys, I'm 'bout to rock your world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raelynn/so-god-made-girls-god-made-girls-he-stood-back-and-told-the-boys-i-m/) [RaeLynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raelynn/) > [“One day I told him about the boys of the neighborhood, about their mocking. He said, "That's because they don't understand." "They should understand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-pinto/one-day-i-told-him-about-the-boys-of-the-neighborhood-about-their/) [Jerry Pinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-pinto/) > [“Two years had passed, and still I had not told the boys anything. I had not told them that their grandfather was gay. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-martin/two-years-had-passed-and-still-i-had-not-told-the-boys-anything-i-had/) Gregory Martin > [“I noticed Wahid's boys, all three thin with dirt-caked faces and short-cropped brown hair under their skull caps, stealing furative glances at my digital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-noticed-wahid-s-boys-all-three-thin-with-dirt-caked-faces-and-short/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [No one told me about boys. I had to figure it out myself. The first thing I learned was that sometimes they grow slower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-anaya/no-one-told-me-about-boys-i-had-to-figure-it-out-myself-the-first/) [Elena Anaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-anaya/) > [“She was beaten to death, I once told some boys at a party. Oh shit mate, they said. I lie about how you died,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-porter/she-was-beaten-to-death-i-once-told-some-boys-at-a-party-oh-shit-mate/) [Max Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-porter/) ## More by LaVar Ball > [LeBron James without Lonzo is not gonna win a championship in L.A. I guarantee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/lebron-james-without-lonzo-is-not-gonna-win-a-championship-in-l-a-i/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [You may not like me. You may think I'm cocky or arrogant. But you will be thinking about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/you-may-not-like-me-you-may-think-i-m-cocky-or-arrogant-but-you-will/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [I'm a trainer. That's my passion. It ain't basketball. My boys, their passion is balling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/i-m-a-trainer-that-s-my-passion-it-ain-t-basketball-my-boys-their/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [All my boys are gonna be one-and-done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/all-my-boys-are-gonna-be-one-and-done/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [How would I coach LeBron and Lonzo? Guess what, less coaching is the best coaching. Let them do what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/how-would-i-coach-lebron-and-lonzo-guess-what-less-coaching-is-the/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [If a coach gets behind Lonzo and has confidence in him, I'm cool. 'Cause that's when he's very successful. He's been successful in AAU,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/if-a-coach-gets-behind-lonzo-and-has-confidence-in-him-i-m-cool-cause/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [You have people that make suggestions you got people that do things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/you-have-people-that-make-suggestions-you-got-people-that-do-things/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [I think if all three of my boys get on the Lakers somehow, they would change the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/i-think-if-all-three-of-my-boys-get-on-the-lakers-somehow-they-would/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [I'm from L.A. I've seen a lot worse things happen than a guy taking some glasses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/i-m-from-l-a-i-ve-seen-a-lot-worse-things-happen-than-a-guy-taking/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [I'm not gonna say nobody's better than my son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/i-m-not-gonna-say-nobody-s-better-than-my-son/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [Not everyone wants to go to school. Some guys might be blessed with being 6'10 and running and jumping better than anybody, so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/not-everyone-wants-to-go-to-school-some-guys-might-be-blessed-with/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [Just because people say things, they're supposed to be true?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/just-because-people-say-things-they-re-supposed-to-be-true/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [I don't regret anything I say... Never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/i-don-t-regret-anything-i-say-never/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [I really don't have a relationship with LeBron. I like it. He ain't done nothing bad to me, I ain't done nothing bad to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/i-really-don-t-have-a-relationship-with-lebron-i-like-it-he-ain-t/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) > [I told my boys that one of them wasn't going to make it. Because if you've got three, only one, maybe two make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavar-ball/i-told-my-boys-that-one-of-them-wasn-t-going-to-make-it-because-if/) [LaVar Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) [Explore all 73 LaVar Ball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavar-ball/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. 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I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I told my boys this: Somebody gotta be better than Michael Jordan. 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