--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had to earn the respect from everybody…" description: "\"I had to earn the respect from everybody, from referees to opponents, but my teammates, they saw some European guy coming here and I had to prove mysel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/vlade-divac-5860_big_i-had-to-earn-the-respect-from-everybody_387126.png" --- # I had to earn the respect from everybody, from referees to… ![“I had to earn the respect from everybody, from referees to opponents, but my teammates, they saw some European guy coming here and I had to prove myself. Luckily, I proved myself, but with big help from the entire Lakers organization.” quote by Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/vlade-divac-5860_big_i-had-to-earn-the-respect-from-everybody_387126.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/vlade-divac-5860_big_i-had-to-earn-the-respect-from-everybody_387126.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/vlade-divac-5860_big_i-had-to-earn-the-respect-from-everybody_387126.png) > “I had to earn the respect from everybody, from referees to opponents, but my teammates, they saw some European guy coming here and I had to prove myself. Luckily, I proved myself, but with big help from the entire Lakers organization.” [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He needed to earn respect from all parties, especially as a foreign player, and succeeded with team support. **In simple terms:** Earn respect through effort and support. Key Takeaway Prove yourself and rely on allies. Themes respect teamwork determination Mood determined grateful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - joining a new team - overcoming bias - building trust Key Concepts sports psychology identity integration Questions to Reflect On - How did you overcome initial skepticism? - What role did the organization play? A Different Perspective Success may still face lingering prejudice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earn respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earn-respect/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) ## Related quotes > [Honestly just to be able to play for the Lakers organization is special and I want to be a Laker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-reaves/honestly-just-to-be-able-to-play-for-the-lakers-organization-is/) [Austin Reaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-reaves/) > [I'm looking to prove myself and earn that respect in the ring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/i-m-looking-to-prove-myself-and-earn-that-respect-in-the-ring/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [As a black woman, I've always had to work hard to earn my respect as a musician - and as a young woman, too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriella-wilson/as-a-black-woman-i-ve-always-had-to-work-hard-to-earn-my-respect-as-a/) [Gabriella Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriella-wilson/) > [“To get respect you must earn it first! To earn respect...you must always give it first!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/to-get-respect-you-must-earn-it-first-to-earn-respect-you-must-always/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [The institutions that claim to represent God, when they are not ignored altogether, are treated like other human institutions that have to earn their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-holloway/the-institutions-that-claim-to-represent-god-when-they-are-not/) [Richard Holloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-holloway/) > [Someone A whole life's longing for love. But do not gets, Someone will get so much love. even he could forgotten learn respect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/someone-a-whole-life-s-longing-for-love-but-do-not-gets-someone-will/) Mak\_786 > [To earn a fool respect, you can't try to be an intellectual with them, you have to learn to speak their type of language,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/to-earn-a-fool-respect-you-can-t-try-to-be-an-intellectual-with-them/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [When you are wrong,take responsibility, that is how you learn your wrong doing,take corrective steps & earn respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/when-you-are-wrong-take-responsibility-that-is-how-you-learn-your/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [If one wants to be respected then one has to show that they have respect for themselves and their respect for themselves is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-santagato/if-one-wants-to-be-respected-then-one-has-to-show-that-they-have/) [Danny Santagato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-santagato/) > [Men can be sex symbols and also earn respect for their professional accomplishments, and the same standard should apply to women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-kasparian/men-can-be-sex-symbols-and-also-earn-respect-for-their-professional/) [Ana Kasparian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-kasparian/) > [I'm sorry Dolph, but around here, you gotta earn respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-orton/i-m-sorry-dolph-but-around-here-you-gotta-earn-respect/) [Randy Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-orton/) > [I had to earn respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-donovan/i-had-to-earn-respect/) [Billy Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-donovan/) > [He who does not have the courage to speak up for his rights cannot earn the respect of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-g-torres/he-who-does-not-have-the-courage-to-speak-up-for-his-rights-cannot/) Rene G Torres > [Now I'm not the type that gets upset, Try to disrespect folks just to earn respect. But learn this fact: whether white or black,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slick-rick/now-i-m-not-the-type-that-gets-upset-try-to-disrespect-folks-just-to/) [Slick Rick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slick-rick/) > [The family we choose for ourselves is more important than the one we were born into; that people have to earn our respect and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/the-family-we-choose-for-ourselves-is-more-important-than-the-one-we/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) ## More by Vlade Divac > [Well, the league is changing every year. It changed when I came. It changed before me. First of all, we have to be thankful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/well-the-league-is-changing-every-year-it-changed-when-i-came-it/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [I have to give a lot of credit to David Stern to open up the league, but also in my case, Jerry West and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/i-have-to-give-a-lot-of-credit-to-david-stern-to-open-up-the-league/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [Because I play in NBA, I am like ambassador of Yugoslavia. Los Angeles before, nobody hear of Yugoslavia. Now I think much people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/because-i-play-in-nba-i-am-like-ambassador-of-yugoslavia-los-angeles/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [One year I grew 15 centimeters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/one-year-i-grew-15-centimeters/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [When you do something bad, you can't sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/when-you-do-something-bad-you-can-t-sleep/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [When I came to New York for the draft in '89, they told me I should be like 10 and 15, and it didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/when-i-came-to-new-york-for-the-draft-in-89-they-told-me-i-should-be/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [Thank God there was no yellow card in basketball because I would get a red card every game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/thank-god-there-was-no-yellow-card-in-basketball-because-i-would-get/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [Jerry West really helped a lot, and so did players like Magic Johnson. That's why, at the end of my career, I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/jerry-west-really-helped-a-lot-and-so-did-players-like-magic-johnson/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [Love liberates you and gives you the power to make the impossible possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/love-liberates-you-and-gives-you-the-power-to-make-the-impossible/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [I just think positive and positive things usually happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/i-just-think-positive-and-positive-things-usually-happen/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [The better team sometimes loses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/the-better-team-sometimes-loses/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [I play for peace and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/i-play-for-peace-and-love/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [I left my home, and it was the most beautiful country in the world in my eyes, and I was always happy in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/i-left-my-home-and-it-was-the-most-beautiful-country-in-the-world-in/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [I started playing in school. 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