--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's easy to become a better basketball…" description: "\"It's easy to become a better basketball player but harder to become a better teammate or person.\" — Tom Izzo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/tom-izzo-4431_ball-player_it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball_846983.png" --- # It's easy to become a better basketball player but harder… ![“It's easy to become a better basketball player but harder to become a better teammate or person.” quote by Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/tom-izzo-4431_ball-player_it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball_846983.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/tom-izzo-4431_ball-player_it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball_846983.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/tom-izzo-4431_ball-player_it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball_846983.png) > “It's easy to become a better basketball player but harder to become a better teammate or person.” [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improving personal skill is easier than developing interpersonal character and empathy. **In simple terms:** Skill growth is easier than personal growth. Key Takeaway Focus on character as much as skill. Themes teamwork personal development leadership Mood reflective motivational Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - sports teams - workplace - friendships - family dynamics Key Concepts empathy humility collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice empathy in daily interactions? - What habits build better teamwork? A Different Perspective Character growth often requires confronting uncomfortable self‑awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Basketball player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball-player/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Teammate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teammate/) ## Related quotes > [I changed up everything around me. I hold myself more accountable in certain situations. I try to be a better man, a better father,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-howard/i-changed-up-everything-around-me-i-hold-myself-more-accountable-in/) [Dwight Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-howard/) > [I focus on me; how can I be a better teammate? A better person? I just let the rest pan out. I can't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-ja-wilson/i-focus-on-me-how-can-i-be-a-better-teammate-a-better-person-i-just/) [A'ja Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-ja-wilson/) > [I think that every guy who has come through New England would say that he gained a lot of knowledge and experience that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-mccourty/i-think-that-every-guy-who-has-come-through-new-england-would-say/) [Devin McCourty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-mccourty/) > [You shouldn't just work on your jump shot. You should work on being a better person, a better teammate, and a better friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-wicks/you-shouldn-t-just-work-on-your-jump-shot-you-should-work-on-being-a/) [Sue Wicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-wicks/) > [Mike Williams has been huge. He's one of those guys that if you need a conversion on third down - he's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-herbert/mike-williams-has-been-huge-he-s-one-of-those-guys-that-if-you-need-a/) [Justin Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-herbert/) > [I want to make sure I do everything in my power to be a better teammate and player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-veon-bell/i-want-to-make-sure-i-do-everything-in-my-power-to-be-a-better/) [Le'Veon Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-veon-bell/) > [As you keep shooting the ball, you become a better basketball player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raekwon/as-you-keep-shooting-the-ball-you-become-a-better-basketball-player/) [Raekwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raekwon/) > [I have the same routine every day just to make me a better basketball player, and I'm going to continue the routine just to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/i-have-the-same-routine-every-day-just-to-make-me-a-better-basketball/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [People see the scoring, and oftentimes, that's all they think about with me, but I try to get better at all aspects my the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmer-fredette/people-see-the-scoring-and-oftentimes-that-s-all-they-think-about/) [Jimmer Fredette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmer-fredette/) > [I was a better basketball player growing up in high school than I was a swimmer. Basketball to this day is my favorite sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lochte/i-was-a-better-basketball-player-growing-up-in-high-school-than-i-was/) [Ryan Lochte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lochte/) > [I like to try to learn from my past and be a better person because of it. Better player, better teammate. Better everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-bauer/i-like-to-try-to-learn-from-my-past-and-be-a-better-person-because-of/) [Trevor Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-bauer/) > [I'm just trying to improve on being a better football player. Being a better teammate, trying to manage expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sony-michel/i-m-just-trying-to-improve-on-being-a-better-football-player-being-a/) [Sony Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sony-michel/) > [It's not always about getting better on the basketball court. This game teaches you how to become a better person as well. It pushes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/it-s-not-always-about-getting-better-on-the-basketball-court-this/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [There are some rappers out there that I listen to, that I'm like: "You are really good but you could be like the Michael…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/there-are-some-rappers-out-there-that-i-listen-to-that-i-m-like-you/) [Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/) > [I thought I was better at basketball, but obviously people didn't think so. But I loved them equally, whether it be baseball season, basketball,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-thielen/i-thought-i-was-better-at-basketball-but-obviously-people-didn-t/) [Adam Thielen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-thielen/) ## More by Tom Izzo > [Time doesn't heal, time helps heal and learning helps heal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/time-doesn-t-heal-time-helps-heal-and-learning-helps-heal/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [I'm a pizza guy, so yes, I love cheese!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/i-m-a-pizza-guy-so-yes-i-love-cheese/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [In 2009 we were pretty good but North Carolina would have beaten some NBA teams that year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/in-2009-we-were-pretty-good-but-north-carolina-would-have-beaten-some/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [I'm pleased to say I am here for life at Michigan State.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/i-m-pleased-to-say-i-am-here-for-life-at-michigan-state/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [There's efforts to win games and there's efforts to win championships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/there-s-efforts-to-win-games-and-there-s-efforts-to-win-championships/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [Words can't truly express what Mike Garland means to me. We've been friends since we met the first night in college and basically have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/words-can-t-truly-express-what-mike-garland-means-to-me-we-ve-been/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [I want to go to Scotland in particular. If I had a bucket list, that would be on my bucket list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/i-want-to-go-to-scotland-in-particular-if-i-had-a-bucket-list-that/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [If I'm going to be responsible to get blamed for something, I'd like to have the ability to do something about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/if-i-m-going-to-be-responsible-to-get-blamed-for-something-i-d-like/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [I've never run from anything in my life, nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/i-ve-never-run-from-anything-in-my-life-nothing/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [Today's society wants to skip the process. And I hate that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/today-s-society-wants-to-skip-the-process-and-i-hate-that/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [It's not my job to judge one of my athletes. Everybody is different. Some are the partying type, some are the studying type, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/it-s-not-my-job-to-judge-one-of-my-athletes-everybody-is-different/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [No comment always means you're hiding something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/no-comment-always-means-you-re-hiding-something/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [I feel like I spend a lot of time in the inner cities and around different people, and always felt like I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/i-feel-like-i-spend-a-lot-of-time-in-the-inner-cities-and-around/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [I just think there's something about being in the Olympics, even though I think it's been tarnished a little bit by commercialization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/i-just-think-there-s-something-about-being-in-the-olympics-even/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [I think we all are coaches in our own respect because we have to try to figure out a way to help make people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/i-think-we-all-are-coaches-in-our-own-respect-because-we-have-to-try/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) [Explore all 111 Tom Izzo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) ## More Ball player quotes > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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You've got to like competing. That's how your team gets better, when you have competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-competed-every-day-as-a-professional-football-player-you-ve-got-to/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [“I can’t wait to knock you up and have a whole team of little baseball players around this place!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-sterling/i-can-t-wait-to-knock-you-up-and-have-a-whole-team-of-little-baseball/) [J. Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-sterling/) > [MOST AMAZING FOOTBALL PLAYER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD && IN REAL MADRID](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-amazing-football-player-in-the-entire-world-in-real-madrid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My older brothers were both basketball players so I just grew up around the gym.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brook-lopez/my-older-brothers-were-both-basketball-players-so-i-just-grew-up/) [Brook Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brook-lopez/) > [I'm a basketball player, so I want to do whatever I've got to do to be on the floor and I'm prepared for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrese-haliburton/i-m-a-basketball-player-so-i-want-to-do-whatever-i-ve-got-to-do-to-be/) [Tyrese Haliburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrese-haliburton/) > [“Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to actually show up somewhere. While others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeing-yourself-in-print-is-such-an-amazing-concept-you-can-get-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People say baseball players should go out and have fun. No way. To me, baseball is pressure, I always feel it. This is work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-eckersley/people-say-baseball-players-should-go-out-and-have-fun-no-way-to-me/) [Dennis Eckersley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-eckersley/) > [Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/canada-is-a-country-whose-main-exports-are-hockey-players-and-cold/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [“The great thing about baseball players, from the point of view of personal hygiene, is how seldom they break a sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-great-thing-about-baseball-players-from-the-point-of-view-of/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [A lot of scouts and people are enamored with athleticism and youth. So they take that any day over mature, high-quality basketball players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-brogdon/a-lot-of-scouts-and-people-are-enamored-with-athleticism-and-youth-so/) [Malcolm Brogdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-brogdon/) > [I'm a baseball player. I've done this my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sale/i-m-a-baseball-player-i-ve-done-this-my-whole-life/) [Chris Sale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sale/) Browse all 1,395 Ball player quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's easy to become a better basketball player but harder to become a better teammate or person.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Izzo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball-player-but-harder-to-become-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ball player" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball-player-but-harder-to-become-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/tom-izzo-4431_ball-player_it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball_846983.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/tom-izzo-4431_ball-player_it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball_846983.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/tom-izzo-4431_ball-player_it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball_846983.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's easy to become a better basketball player but harder to become a better teammate or person.” — Tom Izzo", "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": "Tom Izzo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's easy to become a better...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball-player-but-harder-to-become-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/it-s-easy-to-become-a-better-basketball-player-but-harder-to-become-a/#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 } } ] } ```