Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.
Pat RileyRead
A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A true champion is driven by deeper goals than just the desire to win. They seek meaning and purpose in their pursuits.
This quote by Pat Riley emphasizes that champions are not solely focused on the act of winning itself; rather, their true motivation stems from a more profound sense of purpose or aspiration. The drive to excel comes from values such as passion, determination, and personal growth, pushing them to achieve greatness far beyond the scoreboard.
Themes
ChampionMotivationWinningExcellencePurpose
In practice
Example use cases
During a sports team's motivational speech before a big game.
More from Pat Riley
All quotes →There's always the motivation of wanting to win. Everybody has that. But a champion needs, in his attitude, a motivation above and beyond winning.
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When a great team loses through complacency, it will constantly search for new and more intricate explanations to explain away defeat.
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Giving yourself permission to lose guarantees a loss.
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All of us have at least one great voice deep inside. People are products of their environment. A lucky few are born into situations in which positive messages abound. Others grow up hearing messages of fear and failure, which they must block out so the positive can be heard. But the positive and courageous voice will always emerge, somewhere, sometime, for all of us. Listen for it, and your breakthroughs will come.
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You have no choices about how you lose, but you do have a choice about how you come back and prepare to win again.
Pat RileyRead
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