--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing about it is almost everyone…" description: "\"The thing about it is almost everyone could pass that way, but we were kept from doing it by our coaches.\" — Oscar Robertson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/oscar-robertson-13490_basketball_the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-co_2121039.png" --- # The thing about it is almost everyone could pass that way… ![“The thing about it is almost everyone could pass that way, but we were kept from doing it by our coaches.” quote by Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/oscar-robertson-13490_basketball_the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-co_2121039.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/oscar-robertson-13490_basketball_the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-co_2121039.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/oscar-robertson-13490_basketball_the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-co_2121039.png) > “The thing about it is almost everyone could pass that way, but we were kept from doing it by our coaches.” [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. Coaches often prevent athletes from taking certain paths, limiting potential. **In simple terms:** Coaches can restrict opportunities. Key Takeaway Seek autonomy in decision‑making. Themes authority coach‑athlete relationship potential autonomy Mood thoughtful inspirational Type cautionary motivational When to use this quote - team sports - career planning - skill development Key Concepts leadership personal agency Questions to Reflect On - When is it right to challenge a coach? - How to balance guidance and independence? A Different Perspective Coaches may have valid safety concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ## Related quotes > [“Let me pass this way but once and do what good I can, I shall not pass this way again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-morgan/let-me-pass-this-way-but-once-and-do-what-good-i-can-i-shall-not-pass/) Sally Morgan > [Be nice to everyone on your way to the top because you pass them all on the way down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hufnagel-sr/be-nice-to-everyone-on-your-way-to-the-top-because-you-pass-them-all/) Fred Hufnagel Sr > [“Every door I pass is one way. So I may as well look around, and see what there is beyond the next door, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-baxter/every-door-i-pass-is-one-way-so-i-may-as-well-look-around-and-see/) [Stephen Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-baxter/) > [Part of being a pro is coming and doing what the coaches ask you to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deebo-samuel/part-of-being-a-pro-is-coming-and-doing-what-the-coaches-ask-you-to-do/) [Deebo Samuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deebo-samuel/) > [I'm just doing whatever the coaches tell me. If they want me to play, they want me to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-gurley/i-m-just-doing-whatever-the-coaches-tell-me-if-they-want-me-to-play/) [Todd Gurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-gurley/) > [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/) > [Let me do all the good I can, to all the people I can, as often as I can, for I shall not pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/let-me-do-all-the-good-i-can-to-all-the-people-i-can-as-often-as-i/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [“We only pass this way once..unless our significant other is reading the map..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kjforce/we-only-pass-this-way-once-unless-our-significant-other-is-reading/) kjforce > [“I shall pass through this life but once. Any good therefore that I can do, let me do it now for I shall never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-de-grellet/i-shall-pass-through-this-life-but-once-any-good-therefore-that-i-can/) Etienne de Grellet > [Yield to temptation. It may not pass your way again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/yield-to-temptation-it-may-not-pass-your-way-again/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [It was sort of a solution to financial problems when I was a little kid. I just kept doing it because it's fun to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/it-was-sort-of-a-solution-to-financial-problems-when-i-was-a-little/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [My parents dreaded the fact that I was changing my life to do this, but I just kept doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/my-parents-dreaded-the-fact-that-i-was-changing-my-life-to-do-this/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I started when I was three years old, doing commercials and Modeling in New York, I liked it so much that I kept doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/i-started-when-i-was-three-years-old-doing-commercials-and-modeling/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) > [“Common sense told me that I didn’t want to lie to my family constantly, steal all the time, and drug myself into a coma.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/common-sense-told-me-that-i-didn-t-want-to-lie-to-my-family/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [We had no idea what we were in for when we started Blue Sky. We just had an idea of what we wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wedge/we-had-no-idea-what-we-were-in-for-when-we-started-blue-sky-we-just/) [Chris Wedge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wedge/) ## 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/) > [But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/but-i-like-to-think-an-athlete-is-an-athlete/) [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/) [Explore all 50 Oscar Robertson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) ## 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": "The thing about it is almost everyone could pass that way, but we were kept from doing it by our coaches.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Robertson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-could-pass-that-way-but-we-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basketball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-could-pass-that-way-but-we-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/oscar-robertson-13490_basketball_the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-co_2121039.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/oscar-robertson-13490_basketball_the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-co_2121039.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/oscar-robertson-13490_basketball_the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-co_2121039.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The thing about it is almost everyone could pass that way, but we were kept from doing it by our coaches.” — 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": "The thing about it is almost...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-could-pass-that-way-but-we-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/the-thing-about-it-is-almost-everyone-could-pass-that-way-but-we-were/#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 } } ] } ```