When we think of a famous phrase or quote, we often use the words spoken by different scientists, writers, philosophers, religious, politicians or historical figures. It is not so frequent to mention phrases and reflections coming from the world of sport.

And yet, there are many sportsmen and women who have contributed with their words to inspire their followers and youth in values such as effort, hard work, positive attitude and perseverance. This is the case of Michael Jordan, considered the best basketball player of all time and an example. In this article you will find 65 sentences by Michael Jordan that can be used as inspiration .

Michael Jordan’s Best Quotes and Famous Quotations

The following are a series of contributions and phrases by Michael Jordan on different themes or from which we can extrapolate their meaning to other facets of life.

1. I have always believed that if one gets to work, the results will come sooner or later

This phrase reflects the need to persist in the effort to fight for what we want.

2. Some people want something to happen, some dream about it, some make it happen

Wishing and dreaming are things that must be done, but they will not cease to be dreams if we do not do anything to make them come true.

3. To learn to succeed you must first learn to fail

To do something well requires practice and having failed to learn how to get things done. It also allows us to appreciate more the goals and achievements we have made.

4. I don’t do things by half believing. I know that by doing so I can only expect mediocre results

We must put all our efforts into what we do and believe in it with all our strength.

5. Step by step. I can’t think of any other way to get things done

Great goals require effort and are achieved little by little, with multiple steps in between.

6. Never say never. Because limits, like fear, are often just an illusion

The only limit that exists is the one we set ourselves. We can always go beyond

7. Whoever says he plays on the edge, it’s because he has it

If we put a cap on ourselves, we won’t go beyond it. We have to know how to feed our own motivation.

8. You must expect things from yourself before you can do them

Self-confidence is fundamental when it comes to enabling us to act and achieve our objectives.

9. There are good and bad ways of doing things. You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if the technique is wrong, you will only become an individual who is good at shooting badly

Perseverance is good, but if we persist in the error we really do not get better.

10. If you accept the expectations of others, especially the negative ones, then you will never change the result

Jordan tells us not to bend to what others expect of us.

11. I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But what I can’t accept is not trying

If we try to do something we can fail , but if we don’t do it we can never not do it.

12. If you reach the end of your life and are full of frustration because you feel you didn’t do something, you get bitter. You feel bitter because you reproach yourself for not achieving the things you could have done. I won’t be a bitter old man

Living life to the fullest and doing what you want to do is fundamental to living a happy life.

13. Always turn a negative situation into a positive one

You can learn from everything, and you can get something good out of almost everything depending on the perspective you take.

14. I’m not sweating three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat

Jordan reflects in this sentence the pursuit of the objectives . He urges us to act in order to pursue goals.

15. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Find out how to climb over it, go through it, or go around it

Achieving our goals is complex and requires facing complications and difficulties.

16. Everyone has talent, but skill requires hard work

To be skilled at something requires great effort regardless of whether there is natural talent or not.

17. We all fly. Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly more than others

Dreaming is what drives us.

18. Sometimes you need to be hit on the head to realize you are in a fight

Situations can involve us without us noticing.

19. I never think about the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you are thinking about a negative result

It is better not to anticipate results, as there is a tendency to think about possible defeats.

20. Don’t let success go to your head, and don’t let failure go to your heart

It is important that neither success nor failure should make us lose our reason or go under. We must believe in ourselves without feeling superior.

21. Sometimes things may not go your way, but the effort must be there every night

Regardless of the results and circumstances, we must strive to do our best.

22. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships

It is the use of strategy and joint work that allows a good development and management of things, obtaining the best possible results .

23. I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to look for it

We must not stand still and adopt passive or merely reflective attitudes. If we want something, we must act.

24. I know that fear is an obstacle for many people, but for me it is an illusion

Fear can paralyze us. But it is also a feeling that prepares us to move and act.

25. My father used to say that it’s never too late to do something you want to do. You don’t know what you can get until you try

It’s never too late to get what we set out to do. We can always fight.

26. I have failed over and over again in my life, so I have succeeded

Mistakes help you learn and succeed.

27. Another day, another chance to prove everyone who doubts you wrong

We should not rely on the expectations of others towards us to act. Let that not limit us.

28. I play to win, during practice or in a real game, and I will not let anything stand in the way of my or my enthusiasm to win

No matter what the situation, we must not lower our standards.

29. If objectives are conceived and achieved as a team, individual races will stand out by themselves

Working in a team and being oriented towards it allows both the group and the individuals to stand out.

30. There was never any fear in me, I don’t fear failure. If I miss a launch, what?

Nothing happens if we ever fail. It serves as a learning experience and an opportunity to improve .

31. Authenticity is about being true to who you are, even when everyone around you wants you to be someone else

Being authentic means fighting for what you believe in without bowing to other people’s expectations.

32. To be successful you must be selfish, or you will never succeed. And when you reach your highest level, then you must be selfless. Keep in touch. Don’t isolate yourself

To stand out we first have to act in a way that we can take off and make a name for ourselves. However, once we have achieved this, we must not let it go to our heads and help others to do the same.

33. My attitude is such that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness around and turn it into a strength

The aspects considered as weaknesses can be a great strength, it all depends on the perspective and how they are worked on.

34. Sometimes you need to be hit in the head to realize that you are in a fight

Sometimes we do not perceive our situation clearly until we are immersed in it.

35. Outside of the technique obtained beforehand, the results are beyond our control, so do not worry about them

We cannot control everything , nor what will happen from our actions. Worrying about it too much is inappropriate and not advantageous.

  • You may be interested in: “Perfectionist Personality: The Disadvantages of Perfectionism”

36. Not everyone in a team can claim the same fame and press, but everyone can say they are champions

Fame and prestige may not reach everyone equally, but teamwork is fundamental and all those involved have equal value in achieving common objectives that drive our motivation .

37. I build my talent on the shoulders of the talent of others

The talent and ability to get often thanks to the training and help of people who have preceded us, showing us a possible way forward and from which to work.

38. If you set your mind to doing whatever you want, good things can happen

The disposition towards things and their implementation can cause great changes.

39. I have never been afraid of failure

Failure should not be seen as something negative, scary or shameful. In fact, the very concept of failure is nothing more than a subjective assessment of the outcome of our actions. Moreover, we must be confident that we are capable of achieving the desired results.

40. I never dreamed of getting where I am

What we can achieve with effort can far exceed even what we intended to achieve.

41. Dreams are realized with effort, determination, passion and staying connected to the feeling of who you are

This sentence reflects the importance of acting according to one’s beliefs and directing the achievement of one’s wishes with determination.

42. Always transforms a negative situation into a positive one

We are encouraged to adopt a vision that allows us to see the positive in the negative. It is about turning misfortune into opportunity.

43. Sometimes a winner is simply a dreamer who never gave up

Perseverance is a value of great importance since it allows us to transform our dreams into reality.

44. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And so I have succeeded

Learning is the key to success , and that is especially allowed by failure.

45. My heroes are and were my parents, I can’t imagine having other people as heroes

Our roots are very important, since they are what have given us a context and values that have allowed our development.

46. I played every game of my life to the end

Michael Jordan expresses the need to put all the meat on the spit in order to achieve his goals.

47. I always thought that there would be someone in the stands who was the first time that I saw myself playing live and I just didn’t want to let that person down, neither my fans nor my team

This phrase, again, urges us to give the best of ourselves.

48. If you quit once, it’ll become a habit. Never give up

Giving up is not an option, as it is easy to get used to it and stop fighting for what you want.

49. Make it happen

This phrase urges us to look for a way to achieve what we want, instead of just contemplating it.

50. I am competing with what I am able to do

It is not a question of competing with others, but of reaching the maximum of our capabilities and exceeding those limits.

51. It is impossible to achieve this goal if you do not master the basics

It is necessary to master the most elementary things in order to advance and achieve development.

52. What is love? Love is playing every game as if it were your last

Risking it and putting it all on the line for what we do or who we love is something we do when something or someone is important to us.

53. I hope that the millions of people I have touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and persevere with a positive attitude

This sentence reflects the author’s desire that his achievements may serve as inspiration.

54. The key to success is failure

Failure leads to learning, which in the long run can lead to success.

55. The best comes from the worst

Sometimes not getting what you want, or bad things happening, can end up coming out.

56. You do the job, you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life

We’ll get nothing if we don’t work for it.

57. I want to get up every day and do whatever comes to my mind, and not feel pressure or obligation to do anything in my life

Jordan reflects in this sentence the need for freedom.

58. When I was young, I had to learn the basics of basketball. You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to learn the fundamentals

This phrase reminds us that, in everything, we must start from the bottom to grow and develop.

59. In any investment you have to expect to have fun and make money

What we do in life doesn’t have to focus only on making money, but should be something that fascinates and entertains us.

60. I want to be the bridge to the next generation

This phrase reflects the need to be productive and to leave the next generations an example to inspire or a challenge to beat.

61. If you’re trying to achieve something, there will be stones in the way. I’ve had them, everybody’s had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you

Finding difficulties doesn’t have to stop us from continuing to fight for what we want.

62. It would be impossible to play dumb in training and then, when you need more push at the end of a game, pretend that the effort is reflected.

Even if it is only a trial, we must give our best if we want to empower ourselves.

63. Playing sick. It’s very hard. There has to be a mental challenge as well as a physical one

A phrase that reflects the value of effort even when it is highly challenging.

64. Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again

Jordan indicates in this sentence that once a decision has been made and carried out, it is useless to think that another way could have been taken or not.

65. Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game

This phrase drives us to focus on enjoying what we do.