--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I like to think an athlete is an…" description: "\"But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.\" — Oscar Robertson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/oscar-robertson-13490_athlete_but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-ath_357355.png" --- # But I like to think an athlete is an athlete. ![“But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.” quote by Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/oscar-robertson-13490_athlete_but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-ath_357355.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/oscar-robertson-13490_athlete_but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-ath_357355.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/oscar-robertson-13490_athlete_but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-ath_357355.png) > “But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.” [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker emphasizes that an athlete's identity is defined by their role, not by external labels. **In simple terms:** An athlete is simply an athlete. Key Takeaway Accept yourself as you are. Themes identity self‑acceptance sports confidence Mood confident determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - team sports - personal branding - media interviews - career decisions Key Concepts self‑concept role theory Questions to Reflect On - What defines your identity beyond titles? - How do you stay true to yourself under pressure? A Different Perspective External expectations can distort self‑perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think once an athlete always an athlete and once you have a competitive nature about you, in general, it's hard to let go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-armstrong/i-think-once-an-athlete-always-an-athlete-and-once-you-have-a/) [Kristin Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-armstrong/) > [I think every athlete that’s just out here for the Olympics just does something to inspire those around them and inspire each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-pistorius/i-think-every-athlete-that-s-just-out-here-for-the-olympics-just-does/) [Oscar Pistorius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-pistorius/) > [I think no athlete wants to end his career on an injury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-williams/i-think-no-athlete-wants-to-end-his-career-on-an-injury/) [Jayson Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-williams/) > [I've seen myself do stuff on stage that was pretty amazing. I think that would be true for any athlete. Any top athlete will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stanley/i-ve-seen-myself-do-stuff-on-stage-that-was-pretty-amazing-i-think/) [Paul Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stanley/) > [I'm an actress, model and athlete, and I'd put athlete third on the list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/i-m-an-actress-model-and-athlete-and-i-d-put-athlete-third-on-the-list/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [I'm not a woman that's an athlete! I'm an athlete!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skylar-diggins/i-m-not-a-woman-that-s-an-athlete-i-m-an-athlete/) Skylar Diggins > [Ronaldo is the best of the best, I mean not only as a football player but also as a human being. You can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/ronaldo-is-the-best-of-the-best-i-mean-not-only-as-a-football-player/) [Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I think every athlete has their window of opportunity, and you just have to jump on it. You never know when it can end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-solo/i-think-every-athlete-has-their-window-of-opportunity-and-you-just/) [Hope Solo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-solo/) > [So I think an athlete in general, no matter what sport he does, has to bring this work ethic with him. He must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florian-munteanu/so-i-think-an-athlete-in-general-no-matter-what-sport-he-does-has-to/) [Florian Munteanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florian-munteanu/) > [The Olympics are every four years and I think every athlete who competes in the Olympics wants the gold medal, and I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gregan/the-olympics-are-every-four-years-and-i-think-every-athlete-who/) George Gregan > [To me, snowboarding is really an art form, and I think every athlete, every snowboarder has her own style, and that makes them stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-kim/to-me-snowboarding-is-really-an-art-form-and-i-think-every-athlete/) [Chloe Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-kim/) > [I think an athlete should be honest. I know it's difficult, but if a guy knocked me on my can, I couldn't very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-leonard/i-think-an-athlete-should-be-honest-i-know-it-s-difficult-but-if-a/) [Sugar Ray Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-leonard/) > [I think I'm an athlete who's trained as an actor, and when you smash it all together, you get whatever Omari is doing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/i-think-i-m-an-athlete-who-s-trained-as-an-actor-and-when-you-smash/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [I think every athlete should give back to schools. I know athletes donate and have things that they give charity to, but, at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-arenas/i-think-every-athlete-should-give-back-to-schools-i-know-athletes/) [Gilbert Arenas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-arenas/) ## More by Oscar Robertson > [When I started playing, I wasn't fast, I was gangly, my jumpshot was terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/when-i-started-playing-i-wasn-t-fast-i-was-gangly-my-jumpshot-was/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [It's a sad commentary when I have to say that sometimes in our country we are real sensitive to race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/it-s-a-sad-commentary-when-i-have-to-say-that-sometimes-in-our/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [College coaches want to power the ball inside, they want (their post players) to power the ball up, but no one can shoot from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/college-coaches-want-to-power-the-ball-inside-they-want-their-post/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [Basketball is basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/basketball-is-basketball/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [Now, I guess, people want stars. People are trying to invent stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/now-i-guess-people-want-stars-people-are-trying-to-invent-stars/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [People will think there are no other great ballplayers. Look at Garnett. Look at Duncan, Shaq, Kobe. Look at the players with Sacramento. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/people-will-think-there-are-no-other-great-ballplayers-look-at/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [Just because it is an All-Star Game doesn't mean that you are playing as efficiently as you should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/just-because-it-is-an-all-star-game-doesn-t-mean-that-you-are-playing/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [This is where young players today want to land. They want to be NBA players because of the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/this-is-where-young-players-today-want-to-land-they-want-to-be-nba/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [Look, I think you should promote the game, but I think you should make it what it ought to be. Not some kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/look-i-think-you-should-promote-the-game-but-i-think-you-should-make/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [I don't blame David Stern because a player gets on the court and he doesn't put out competitively. No one can make you play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/i-don-t-blame-david-stern-because-a-player-gets-on-the-court-and-he/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [They should have a rule: in order to be a sportswriter, you have to have played that sport, at some level; high school, college,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/they-should-have-a-rule-in-order-to-be-a-sportswriter-you-have-to/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [But when I did it (the triple-double), I didn't even know it until someone told me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/but-when-i-did-it-the-triple-double-i-didn-t-even-know-it-until/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [You have to teach now - tell a kid how to box out, tell him how to pass, teach him footwork. Players don't understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/you-have-to-teach-now-tell-a-kid-how-to-box-out-tell-him-how-to-pass/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [You see what happens in college and high school games today - a three-point shot or a dunk. I think that's the reason that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/you-see-what-happens-in-college-and-high-school-games-today-a-three/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [People say that, but I think the NBA was bigger than Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/people-say-that-but-i-think-the-nba-was-bigger-than-larry-bird-and/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) [Explore all 50 Oscar Robertson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Robertson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-athlete/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-athlete/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/oscar-robertson-13490_athlete_but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-ath_357355.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/oscar-robertson-13490_athlete_but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-ath_357355.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/oscar-robertson-13490_athlete_but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-ath_357355.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.” — Oscar Robertson", "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": "Oscar Robertson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But I like to think an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-athlete/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-athlete/#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 } } ] } ```