When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro.
Larry BirdRead
You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you'll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.
Interpretation
Taking chances is essential for success, even if you fail often.
This quote by Larry Bird emphasizes the importance of taking risks in order to achieve success. It acknowledges that while many attempts may not result in success, the act of trying is crucial, and it highlights a positive attitude towards effort and perseverance, suggesting that even perceived failures can lead to growth and learning.
In practice
This quote can be used as motivation in a sports team meeting to encourage players to take risks during games.
When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro.
You can make all the excuses you want, but if you're not mentally tough and you're not prepared to play every night, you're not going to win.
Practice habits were crucial to my development in basketball. I didn't play against the toughest competition in high school, but one reason I was able to do well in college was that I mastered the fundamentals. You've got to have them down before you can even think about playing.
It's been a journey, the NBA. It's taken me a lot farther than I ever expected.
Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It's being able to take it as well as dish it out. That's the only way you're going to get respect from the players.
I learned what my weaknesses were and I went out the next day to turn those weaknesses intro strengths.
Treat failure as a lesson on how not to approach achieving a goal, and then use that learning to improve your chances of success when you try again. Failure is only the end if you decide to stop.
Self-discipline without talent can often achieve astounding results, whereas talent without self-discipline inevitably dooms itself to failure.
About the last thing I ever wanted in life was a knighthood, and even today some forty years after the event, I find it difficult to come to terms with a life where old and valued friends insist on calling me 'Sir' instead of Don, simply because they think it is protocol. But I have consciously shouldered these burdens because I felt that I was the medium through which cricket could achieve a higher status and gain maximum support from the people, not only in Australia but throughout the world.
Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don't settle for them.
Laurels grow in the Bay of Biscay, I hope a bed of them may be found in the Mediterranean.
Any reward that is worth having only comes to the industrious. The success which is made in any walk of life is measured almost exactly by the amount of hard work that is put into it.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.