--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no answer to the Pythagorean…" description: "\"There is no answer to the Pythagorean theorem. Well, there is an answer, but by the time you figure it out, I got 40 points, 10 rebounds and then we're..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/shaquille-o-neal-659_answer_there-is-no-answer-to-the-pythagorean-th_1746744.jpg" --- # There is no answer to the Pythagorean theorem. Well, there… ![“There is no answer to the Pythagorean theorem. Well, there is an answer, but by the time you figure it out, I got 40 points, 10 rebounds and then we're planning for the parade.” quote by Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/shaquille-o-neal-659_answer_there-is-no-answer-to-the-pythagorean-th_1746744.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/shaquille-o-neal-659_answer_there-is-no-answer-to-the-pythagorean-th_1746744.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/shaquille-o-neal-659_answer_there-is-no-answer-to-the-pythagorean-th_1746744.jpg) > “There is no answer to the Pythagorean theorem. Well, there is an answer, but by the time you figure it out, I got 40 points, 10 rebounds and then we're planning for the parade.” [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) ## 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 contrasts a mathematical certainty with the fleeting nature of sports achievements, highlighting how knowledge and performance intersect. **In simple terms:** Math certainty vs. sports outcomes. Key Takeaway Balance knowledge with action. Themes certainty performance math sports achievement Mood thoughtful analytical reflective Type explanatory philosophical When to use this quote - games - academic study - career planning Key Concepts probability statistics competition Questions to Reflect On - How do you apply certainty in unpredictable fields? - What role does luck play in success? A Different Perspective The analogy may oversimplify complex concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [40 Points](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/40-points-1568342/) [Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) [Answer Pythagorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-pythagorean-1568340/) [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Figure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figure/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Parade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parade/) [Parades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parades/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [Pythagorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pythagorean-300894/) [Pythagorean theorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pythagorean-theorem/) [Rebound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebound/) [Theorem Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theorem-answer-1568341/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [That is why one day I said my game will be like the Pythagorean Theorem - hard to figure out. A lot of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/that-is-why-one-day-i-said-my-game-will-be-like-the-pythagorean/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Our offense is like the pythagorean theorem: There is no answer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/our-offense-is-like-the-pythagorean-theorem-there-is-no-answer/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [“Uh-oh," Moni sang, and nodded her head in Chantal's direction. "I think someone's a wee bit upset with us." She turned and walked a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charity-tahmaseb/uh-oh-moni-sang-and-nodded-her-head-in-chantal-s-direction-i-think/) [Charity Tahmaseb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charity-tahmaseb/) > [“Rachel bit her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if someone asks what's on the next math test and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/rachel-bit-her-lip-i-hope-you-re-right-i-m-a-little-worried-what-if/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [In football, you can never say anything is certain. The benchmark is 38-40 points. That has always been the case. That will never change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bruce/in-football-you-can-never-say-anything-is-certain-the-benchmark-is-38/) [Steve Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bruce/) > [You don't want a team going around the league just thinking they can beat you by 30, 40 points every time that you play them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-williams/you-don-t-want-a-team-going-around-the-league-just-thinking-they-can/) [Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-williams/) > [There's been a lot of talk of me being a one-man show but that's simply not the case. We win games when I score…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobe-bryant/there-s-been-a-lot-of-talk-of-me-being-a-one-man-show-but-that-s/) [Kobe Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobe-bryant/) > [This excerpt is presented as reproduced by Copernicus in the preface to De Revolutionibus: "Some think that the earth remains at rest. But Philolaus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/this-excerpt-is-presented-as-reproduced-by-copernicus-in-the-preface/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Geometry has two great treasures; one is the Theorem of Pythagoras; the other, the division of a line into extreme and mean ratio. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/geometry-has-two-great-treasures-one-is-the-theorem-of-pythagoras-the/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/number-is-the-ruler-of-forms-and-ideas-and-the-cause-of-gods-and/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [Do people believe in human rights because such rights actually exist, like mathematical truths, sitting on a cosmic shelf next to the Pythagorean theorem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/do-people-believe-in-human-rights-because-such-rights-actually-exist/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I think critics tend to think that comedy is freakin' math. Like, this is the Pythagorean Theorem. They're not sophisticated enough to know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jeong/i-think-critics-tend-to-think-that-comedy-is-freakin-math-like-this/) [Ken Jeong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jeong/) > [When somebody discovers something like the quadratic formula or the Pythagorean theorem, the convention in science is that he can't control that idea. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/when-somebody-discovers-something-like-the-quadratic-formula-or-the/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [“You forget all of it anyway. First, you forget everything you learned-the dates of the Hay-Herran Treaty and Pythagorean Theorem. You especially forget everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/you-forget-all-of-it-anyway-first-you-forget-everything-you-learned/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [We live in a society where we're not taught how to deal with our weaknesses and frailties as human beings. We're not taught how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/we-live-in-a-society-where-we-re-not-taught-how-to-deal-with-our/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) ## More by Shaquille O'Neal > [ 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/) > [And if the big dog ain't me, then the house won't get guarded - period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-if-the-big-dog-ain-t-me-then-the-house-won-t-get-guarded-period/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [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/) > [I don't send messages, I'm not a fax machine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-don-t-send-messages-i-m-not-a-fax-machine/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I told our guys they must not have cable because Antoine Walker knows how to play, Derek Anderson can play, Shandon Anderson knows how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-told-our-guys-they-must-not-have-cable-because-antoine-walker-knows/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I was really upset. I felt like they tried to limit me, whoever 'they' may be. So I just said to myself third quarter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-was-really-upset-i-felt-like-they-tried-to-limit-me-whoever-they/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Keep in mind, I'm not allowed to be tough. I'm tamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/keep-in-mind-i-m-not-allowed-to-be-tough-i-m-tamed/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I'm still the baddest expletive in the world. Yeah, I'm getting older, but Kareem got older. Hakeem got older. I don't need Earthlings' respect.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-m-still-the-baddest-expletive-in-the-world-yeah-i-m-getting-older/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Write this: Since my boy is the coach, I'm going to try out for the Dolphins next year. Tight end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/write-this-since-my-boy-is-the-coach-i-m-going-to-try-out-for-the/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Everybody talks about being a role model. But if you look up the word 'role' in a dictionary, it describes playing a part. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/everybody-talks-about-being-a-role-model-but-if-you-look-up-the-word/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Why don't you bring your face up here and let me punch it? Then you can tell me (if I'm stronger).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/why-don-t-you-bring-your-face-up-here-and-let-me-punch-it-then-you/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I'm known as The Big Baryshnikov.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-m-known-as-the-big-baryshnikov/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Enunciation, diction, all that stuff. None of that is in my personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/enunciation-diction-all-that-stuff-none-of-that-is-in-my-personality/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I told Leonard, in the immortal words of Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2, 'I'm going on vacation. If I tell you where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-told-leonard-in-the-immortal-words-of-tom-cruise-in-mission/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Stats don't matter. I care about winning, not stats. If I score 0 points and we win I'm happy. If I score 50, 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/stats-don-t-matter-i-care-about-winning-not-stats-if-i-score-0-points/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) [Explore all 422 Shaquille O'Neal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) ## More Answer quotes > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [What you are is a question only you can answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/what-you-are-is-a-question-only-you-can-answer/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [“And if you can’t say yes, answer anyway. Because I’d rather live with the answer than die with the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ellis/and-if-you-can-t-say-yes-answer-anyway-because-i-d-rather-live-with/) [Jon Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ellis/) > [“There is a cure and answer to everything, we just haven't found them yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-halimi/there-is-a-cure-and-answer-to-everything-we-just-haven-t-found-them/) [Eve Halimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-halimi/) > [Whenever I'm asked about Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, I always answer: 'Neymar is the best,' not just because of his goals but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/whenever-i-m-asked-about-cristiano-ronaldo-or-lionel-messi-i-always/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [A wiki works best where you're trying to answer a question that you can't easily pose, where there's not a natural structure that's known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-cunningham/a-wiki-works-best-where-you-re-trying-to-answer-a-question-that-you/) [Ward Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-cunningham/) > [“Those are good questions. I recognize good questions, because I can come up with them myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/those-are-good-questions-i-recognize-good-questions-because-i-can/) [Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'll answer anything... I'm brutally honest, actually, which gets me in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-ll-answer-anything-i-m-brutally-honest-actually-which-gets-me-in/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [“...I guess I can put two and two together." "Sometimes the answer's four," I said, "and sometimes it's twenty-two...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-guess-i-can-put-two-and-two-together-sometimes-the-answer-s-four-i/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Jumping someone is never the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jumping-someone-is-never-the-answer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I play along myself, even though I can't help the player. So I can't say what I think the answer might be. But I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-mcguinness/i-play-along-myself-even-though-i-can-t-help-the-player-so-i-can-t/) [Paddy McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-mcguinness/) > [Sometimes the question is complicated, but the answers are simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-suess/sometimes-the-question-is-complicated-but-the-answers-are-simple/) [Dr Suess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-suess/) [Browse all 2,090 Answer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no answer to the Pythagorean theorem. 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