The most famous NBA quotes of all time

Michael Jordan on missing shots

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."

Allen Iverson's "practice" rant

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."

Larry Bird before the three-point contest

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.

Scottie Pippen roasts Karl Malone

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.

Charles Barkley on Angola's chances to beat the Dream Team

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."

LeBron James makes his decision

"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.

Kevin Garnett: "Anything is possible!"

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!"

Rasheed Wallace unleashes an all-time mantra

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."

Antoine Walker on why he shoots so many three-pointers

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."

Kevin Durant: "You the real MVP"

While accepting the MVP award in 2014, Durant became emotional as he spoke 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.