--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Basketball, a game which won't be fit for…" description: "\"Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.\" — Ogden Nash" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/ogden-nash-1286_basketball_basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for_1110120.png" --- # Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until… ![“Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.” quote by Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/ogden-nash-1286_basketball_basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for_1110120.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/ogden-nash-1286_basketball_basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for_1110120.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/ogden-nash-1286_basketball_basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for_1110120.png) > “Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.” [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A humorous critique that absurd standards make a sport unsuitable for most people, using exaggerated imagery of high baskets and returning giraffes to the zoo. **In simple terms:** Ridiculous standards exclude ordinary participants. Key Takeaway Questionify standards to include everyone. Themes humor sports inclusion Mood playful satirical Type humorous satirical When to use this quote - school sports - community leagues - recreational activities Key Concepts absurdity social critique Questions to Reflect On - What standards in your life feel unnecessarily high? - How can you adjust expectations for broader participation? A Different Perspective Overly literal interpretation may miss the playful tone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Basketball game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball-game/) [Baskets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baskets/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Funny basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-basketball/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Giraffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giraffe/) [Giraffes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giraffes/) [Giraffes Zoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giraffes-zoo-2953117/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return/) [Return Giraffes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return-giraffes-2953116/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Zoos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zoos/) ## Related quotes > [Evolution is so creative. That's how we got giraffes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/evolution-is-so-creative-that-s-how-we-got-giraffes/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“How would you lift a giraffe with one hand? It doesn't matter as you won't find any one-handed giraffes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/how-would-you-lift-a-giraffe-with-one-hand-it-doesn-t-matter-as-you/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/various/) > [If I could adopt any zoo animal, it would be a giraffe. I have always loved giraffes. They are so graceful and beautiful to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-devitto/if-i-could-adopt-any-zoo-animal-it-would-be-a-giraffe-i-have-always/) [Torrey DeVitto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-devitto/) > [A bit of advice: never read a pop-up book about giraffes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lock/a-bit-of-advice-never-read-a-pop-up-book-about-giraffes/) [Sean Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lock/) > [However much you know giraffes, to see one in the wild for the first time feels prehistoric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/however-much-you-know-giraffes-to-see-one-in-the-wild-for-the-first/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I remember once reading that it is still not understood how the giraffe manages to pump an adequate blood supply all the way up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-solow/i-remember-once-reading-that-it-is-still-not-understood-how-the/) [Robert Solow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-solow/) > [We transported eight giraffes, and there are now nine because one gave birth to a male shortly afterwards. They carry their pregnancies very well-they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-lumley/we-transported-eight-giraffes-and-there-are-now-nine-because-one-gave/) [Joanna Lumley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-lumley/) > [The chimpanzees in the zoos do it, Some courageous kangaroos do it Let's do it, let's fall in love. I'm sure giraffes on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-porter/the-chimpanzees-in-the-zoos-do-it-some-courageous-kangaroos-do-it-let/) [Cole Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-porter/) > [The man who believes in giraffes would swallow anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-mitchell/the-man-who-believes-in-giraffes-would-swallow-anything/) [Adrian Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-mitchell/) > [Children start off reading in books about lions and giraffes and so on, but they also-if theyre lucky enough and have reasonable privileges of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/children-start-off-reading-in-books-about-lions-and-giraffes-and-so/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [I like snakes. I like hummingbirds. There's nothing on earth I don't like. Frogs. Salamanders. The bunnies, the giraffes, the hippopotamuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/i-like-snakes-i-like-hummingbirds-there-s-nothing-on-earth-i-don-t/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [Fans never fall asleep at our games, because they're afraid they might get hit by a pass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-raveling/fans-never-fall-asleep-at-our-games-because-they-re-afraid-they-might/) [George Raveling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-raveling/) > [Well! The buzz from the bees is that the leopards are in a bit of a spot... And the baboons are going ape over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-lion-king/well-the-buzz-from-the-bees-is-that-the-leopards-are-in-a-bit-of-a/) [The Lion King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-lion-king/) > [“We all can dance," he said, "when we find music that we love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/we-all-can-dance-he-said-when-we-find-music-that-we-love/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [Everything that I love is behind those gates. We have elephants, and giraffes, and crocodiles, and every kind of tigers and lions. And -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/everything-that-i-love-is-behind-those-gates-we-have-elephants-and/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) ## More by Ogden Nash > [There is only one way to achieve happiness on this terrestrial ball, and that is to have either a clear conscience or none at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/there-is-only-one-way-to-achieve-happiness-on-this-terrestrial-ball/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [The sky is now indelible ink, The branches reft asunder; But you and I we do not shrink; We love the lovely thunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/the-sky-is-now-indelible-ink-the-branches-reft-asunder-but-you-and-i/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Middle-aged life is merry, and I love to lead it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/middle-aged-life-is-merry-and-i-love-to-lead-it/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [When a lady's erotic life is vexed God knows what God is coming next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/when-a-lady-s-erotic-life-is-vexed-god-knows-what-god-is-coming-next/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“Love is a word that is constantly heard, Hate is a word that is not. Love, I am told, is more precious that gold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/love-is-a-word-that-is-constantly-heard-hate-is-a-word-that-is-not/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [A husband is a guy who tells you when you've got on too much lipstick and helps you with your girdle when your hips…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/a-husband-is-a-guy-who-tells-you-when-you-ve-got-on-too-much-lipstick/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Marriage is the alliance of two people, one of whom never remembers birthdays and the other never forgets them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/marriage-is-the-alliance-of-two-people-one-of-whom-never-remembers/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [I claim there ain't Another Saint As great as Valentine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/i-claim-there-ain-t-another-saint-as-great-as-valentine/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“Senescence begins And middle-age ends The day your descendants Outnumber your friends”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/senescence-begins-and-middle-age-ends-the-day-your-descendants/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Poets arent very usefulBecause they aren't consumeful or produceful..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/poets-arent-very-usefulbecause-they-aren-t-consumeful-or-produceful/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [I don't mind their having a lot of money, and I don't care how they employ it, but I do think that they damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/i-don-t-mind-their-having-a-lot-of-money-and-i-don-t-care-how-they/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [To maintain your marriage brimming, with really like in the wedding cup, anytime you are incorrect, admit it each time you're proper, shut up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/to-maintain-your-marriage-brimming-with-really-like-in-the-wedding/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [No, you never get any fun Out of the things you haven't done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/no-you-never-get-any-fun-out-of-the-things-you-haven-t-done/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“Which the Chicken and Which the Egg? He drinks because she scolds, he thinks; She thinks she scolds because he drinks; And nether will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/which-the-chicken-and-which-the-egg-he-drinks-because-she-scolds-he/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“People can't concentrate properly on blowing other people to pieces if their minds are poisoned by thoughts suitable to the twenty-fifth of December.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/people-can-t-concentrate-properly-on-blowing-other-people-to-pieces/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) [Explore all 261 Ogden Nash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) ## 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": "Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ogden Nash" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for-people-until-they-set-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basketball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for-people-until-they-set-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/ogden-nash-1286_basketball_basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for_1110120.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/ogden-nash-1286_basketball_basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for_1110120.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/ogden-nash-1286_basketball_basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for_1110120.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the…” — Ogden Nash", "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": "Ogden Nash", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Basketball, a game which won't be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for-people-until-they-set-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/basketball-a-game-which-won-t-be-fit-for-people-until-they-set-the/#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 } } ] } ```