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The 25 most famous NBA quotes of all time
Jonathan Kirn/Liaison

The 25 most famous NBA quotes of all time

Actions speak louder than words, and that's especially true in the NBA. Sometimes, though, the words do speak pretty loudly. These are some of the most memorable quotes in the history of the league.

 
1 of 25

Michael Jordan: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career..."

Michael Jordan: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career..."
MPS/Imagn

This MJ nugget, from a famous Nike ad, has become a go-to inspirational quote about perseverance and the necessity of failure. The full quote: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

 
2 of 25

Allen Iverson's "practice" rant

Allen Iverson's "practice" rant
RVR Photos/Imagn

This one needs no introduction, so here's just a snippet of one of the most famous press conferences in NBA history: "We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're in here talking about practice. I mean, listen, we're talking about practice. Not a game! Not a game! Not a game! We're talking about practice. Not a game; not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last, not the game, we're talking about practice, man. I mean, how silly is that? We're talking about practice."

 
3 of 25

Larry Bird: "So who's coming in second?"

Larry Bird: "So who's coming in second?"
USA TODAY Sports/Imagn

Bird is one of the all-time great trash talkers, and that even extended to All-Star Weekend. Before the 1988 three-point contest, he walked into the locker room and asked, "So who's coming in second?" Bird has since said he was joking when he made the remark, but the quote has nevertheless endured.

 
4 of 25

Scottie Pippen: "The Mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays"

Scottie Pippen: "The Mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays"
USA TODAY Sports/Imagn

This is one of the best examples of trash talk ever. With nine seconds left in Game 1 of the 1997 Finals, which was played on a Sunday, Karl Malone, aka "The Mailman," was at the free-throw line. Pippen said to him, "The Mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays." Malone missed both shots, and the Bulls won the game.

 
5 of 25

Mike Breen: "Bang!"

Mike Breen: "Bang!"
Kirby Lee/Imagn

More of a saying than a quote, the line is a go-to when Breen is calling a game, and there's a huge late-game moment. Sometimes, he'll even bust out a rare "double bang" when the situation is particularly dramatic. Over the years, a Breen "bang" has become one of the most iconic calls in all of sports.

 
6 of 25

Charles Barkley: "Angola's in trouble"

Charles Barkley: "Angola's in trouble"
USA TODAY Sports/Imagn

Barkley is one of the most quotable NBA players, or just athletes in general, of all time. The one that perhaps resonates the most, though, comes from the "Dream Team" era. When the US Olympic basketball team was preparing to face Angola, Barkley shared his legendary summary: "I don't know anything about Angola, but Angola's in trouble."

 
7 of 25

LeBron James: "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach"

LeBron James: "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach"
Matthew Emmons/Imagn

"The Decision," the TV special where LeBron revealed his decision to leave the Cavs and join the Heat, was widely maligned. Regardless, the way he phrased the news, "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and play for the Miami Heat," has stuck with people, and the "take my talents" phrasing is frequently referenced in the sports world.

 
8 of 25

Michael Jordan: "And I took that personally"

Michael Jordan: "And I took that personally"
USA TODAY Sports/Imagn

For the record, MJ didn't actually say, "and I took that personally" in the Last Dance documentary (though one actual quote was, "It became personal with me"). But, that phrase did become a huge meme as the docuseries took over the sports landscape in 2020. Jordan has a long history of being a meme, and this was one of the biggest examples.

 
9 of 25

Kevin Durant: "You the real MVP"

Kevin Durant: "You the real MVP"
Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn

While accepting the MVP award in 2014, Durant got emotional while speaking about all his mother had done for him to help him achieve his success. Tearfully, he ended his speech by saying, "You the real MVP." Aside from being a beautiful and heartfelt moment, it also became a meme, with people recontextualizing the phrase to pay tribute to people who do more mundane things, like sharing their Netflix accounts or giving out full-size candy bars on Halloween.

 
10 of 25

Moses Malone: "Fo', Fo', Fo'"

Moses Malone: "Fo', Fo', Fo'"
Malcolm Emmons/Imagn

The 1983 76ers were essentially unstoppable. Moses certainly had confidence in his crew, as he famously predicted his team would sweep the three rounds of the playoffs by saying, "Fo', Fo', Fo'." His prognostication nearly came true, as Philly only lost one game that postseason on the way to a championship.

 
11 of 25

Kevin Garnett: "Anything is possible!"

Kevin Garnett: "Anything is possible!"
David Butler II/Imagn

After years in the league, years of never achieving the ultimate goal in Minnesota, Garnett left the Timberwolves to team up with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in Boston. In 2008, KG helped guide the team to a championship. Overcome with emotion, Garnett screamed his famous line during an on-court interview: "Anything is possible!"

 
12 of 25

Rasheed Wallace: "Ball don't lie"

Rasheed Wallace: "Ball don't lie"
David Butler II/Imagn

This one isn't necessarily a Rasheed original, as the saying apparently stems from playground basketball games. 'Sheed definitely helped popularize it on a larger scale, though. It's become a part of basketball culture more generally: When a player you fouled misses a free throw, that's when you bust out a big ol' "ball don't lie."

 
13 of 25

Shaquille O'Neal: "I wasn't really familiar with your game"

Shaquille O'Neal: "I wasn't really familiar with your game"
Cary Edmondson/Imagn

While talking with Christian Wood on Inside The NBA, Shaq told the young player, "I owe you an apology: I wasn't really familiar with your game." The quote itself is relatively innocuous, but the internet ran with it, and it has become a massive meme. An image of Shaq and the quote is regularly used to react to instances of people and things going above expectations.

 
14 of 25

Antoine Walker: "Because there are no 4's"

Antoine Walker: "Because there are no 4's"
Imagn

During his peak in Boston, Walker led the league in three-point attempts for three straight seasons. His reasoning for taking so many long-range shots was legendary. When asked why he shot so many threes, he replied, "Because there are no 4's."

 
15 of 25

Brian Scalabrine: "I'm closer to LeBron than you are to me"

Brian Scalabrine: "I'm closer to LeBron than you are to me"
Mike DiNovo/Imagn

Scalabrine was never a star in the NBA, but he did ultimately enjoy an 11-season career, which is more than the vast majority of players can say. Still, he became a bit of a punching bag, with fans speculating that they could beat Scalabrine in one-on-one. Scal came through with a great quote, though, to remind people of how big the gap is between amateurs and even the least-acclaimed NBA players: "I'm closer to LeBron than you are to me."

 
16 of 25

CJ McCollum: "Im trying Jennifer"

CJ McCollum: "Im trying Jennifer"
Soobum Im/Imagn

A modern classic: On Twitter, McCollum shared his thoughts about players joining superteams to try to win championships. One user responded, "Win a playoff game then talk." McCollum, taking note of her name, replied, "I'm trying, Jennifer."

 
17 of 25

Shaquille O'Neal: "Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God's way to say nobody's perfect"

Shaquille O'Neal: "Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God's way to say nobody's perfect"
USA TODAY Sports/Imagn

Shaq is undeniably one of the most dominant players of his generation and of all time. There was one glaring flaw in his game, though: He wasn't a great, or even an average, shooter, especially from the free-throw line. As the ever-quotable O'Neal once put it, though, "Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God's way to say nobody's perfect."

 
18 of 25

Kevin Durant: "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard"

Kevin Durant: "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard"
Ken Blaze/Imagn

KD popularized a slight rephrasing of a quote often attributed to high school basketball coach Tim Notke. It's a succinct way of saying that effort is more important than talent: a person who isn't as naturally skilled but works hard will have more success than a naturally talented person who is lazy.

 
19 of 25

Dwyane Wade: "My belief is stronger than your doubt"

Dwyane Wade: "My belief is stronger than your doubt"
Jerome Miron/Imagn

Even Wade, one of the most successful and skilled NBA players of all time, has faced doubters. He has a mantra, though, that reminds him that it doesn't matter what others think because of his supreme confidence in himself: "My belief is stronger than your doubt."

 
20 of 25

Jerry West: "You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good"

Jerry West: "You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good"
Malcolm Emmons/Imagn

West is one of the greatest ever. Presumably, he didn't get there by taking shortcuts or skipping the necessary steps when he didn't feel like taking them. His quote is a reminder that attaining success requires nonstop dedication.

 
21 of 25

Chick Hearn: "The game's in the refrigerator..."

Chick Hearn: "The game's in the refrigerator..."
Kirby Lee/Imagn

Hearn, a long-time commentator for the Lakers, had one of the best catchphrases ever. When the game was in its final moments, but the outcome was no longer in doubt, he would solidify that by busting out a colorful bit of prose. It was some variation of, "The game's in the refrigerator, the door's closed, the light's out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the jello's jigglin'."

 
22 of 25

Damian Lillard: "If you want to look good in front of thousands, you have to outwork thousands in front of nobody"

Damian Lillard: "If you want to look good in front of thousands, you have to outwork thousands in front of nobody"
Kim Klement/Imagn

It takes a lot of work to be successful. Most of that work happens alone, outside of the big moments. Lillard has a great perspective on that: "If you want to look good in front of thousands, you have to outwork thousands in front of nobody."

 
23 of 25

Bill Russell: "Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory"

Bill Russell: "Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory"
Malcolm Emmons/Imagn

Russell was probably the winningest basketball player ever, but he was also a civil rights leader and a thoughtful guy. He had an interesting way of seeing the world, especially when it came to his perspective on winning (which, again, he did a ton of). He summed it up in a quote: "Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory."

 
24 of 25

Phil Jackson: "Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the 'me' for the 'we'"

Phil Jackson: "Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the 'me' for the 'we'"
Robert Hanashiro/Imagn

Jackson is one of the most thoughtful coaches in NBA history, and he has long been eager to share the wisdom he has accumulated; His memoir, Eleven Rings, is often cited as a terrific book about leadership. One of Phil's nuggets: "Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the 'me' for the 'we'."

 
25 of 25

Joel Embiid: "They always kick our ass, so this is not a rivalry"

Joel Embiid: "They always kick our ass, so this is not a rivalry"
Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn

In recent years, the Celtics and 76ers have regularly been two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. When they go head-to-head, though, the Celtics tend to come away with the win. Embiid recognized this, as when asked about the rivalry between the squads, he insisted it wasn't one since the Celtics, in his words, "always kick our ass."

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