Best Basketball Quotes

"Michael Jordan sees three people on him, he's gonna pass the ball... Kobe's gonna shoot with all five people on him."

"Kobe Bryant is no question about it, Kobe is there to kill you."

"Beyond Jordan's greatness as an overall basketball player is the mystique of his character."

"There is absolutely no hole in this man's legacy, and it's why Michael Jordan is my choice as the greatest player to ever live."

"Kobe said his goal was to make you reconsider playing basketball when you guard whoever was guarding him. He wanted you to consider life choices."

"LeBron... there is no denying his greatness."

"Let's talk about basketball. That's the discussion. Let's keep it basketball."

"Why in every other sport can we accept the fact that players are faster, stronger, more skilled, but for some reason, basketball players stopped being good in 2000?"

"On Monday, Hart dropped his fifth triple-double since January 30th."

"The most influential on the game...Steph and Allen Iverson are the two biggest influential guys."

"I told y'all this last year, how good women's basketball is."

"He has the most points per minute for a rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85."

"LeBron James, at this stage of his career, is the most amazing thing that I've ever seen of a basketball player on the basketball court."

"You hear the stories, and you meet these different guys who have gone through a completely different grind... it just gave me a brand-new respect for hoop in general."

"Technically, that is the hardest championship because it's LeBron and the Lakers."

"All right, last possession, 2 seconds to go. Probably going to force it to myself again."

"Let's go home, ladies and gentlemen, 28 and 20 from Victor."

"Bucket Man, Giannis, you are... hold on, oh, Giannis, give him another one for the people in the back."

"LeBron was the guy, and he was the most influential person in the league."

"LeBron is respected, though. He's probably the most checked GOAT of his generation."

"Usually players will change the game for their position. Yes, and Steph did a very weird thing where like he changed the game for every position."

"Larry Bird could not play today? Have you seen [Nikola] Jokić and [Luka] Dončić?"

"I've invested so much time in basketball; basketball now does more for me than I do for the game of basketball."

"If Michael Jordan played 22 years, we don't know."

"Michael Jordan played at 40 years old, averaging 20, no sleep, golfing, smoking, drinking."

"It seemed like it was harder to guard Shaq versus before 2004."

"The 72-10 Bulls, the supposed best team of all time."

"Kobe played against the most talented shooting guards the game has ever seen."

"LeBron has cemented himself as the best, but this year he also became the greatest scorer, passing Kareem for the NBA's all-time scoring record."

"When LeBron is gone, we're going to miss him. As much criticism as he gets, there's nobody even playing like him now."

"What you know about the game of basketball, if you really spoke on it more often, you'd be amazed at the level of understanding people will inherently gather because they have no choice because you know what the hell you're talking about."

"This is a guy that lives, breathes, eats, sleeps basketball. That's a form of leadership."

"He looks like a completely different player right now. I think he's averaging close to like 28 points per game in March."

"The Eastern Conference, on the other hand, has four viable contenders."

"Pistol Pete is really underrated with passing because he had no reference for the things he was doing. He was just creating it."

"Curry had a legendary game, joining Kobe Bryant as the only players in NBA history to drop 60 plus points at 35 years or older."

"Harden has been and always will be the king of the four-point play."

"The craziest madness took place in Denver where Nikola 'The Brain Breaker' Jokić turned Ayton into the laughing stock of the century."

"Scotty Barnes is going to be an All-Star. He's going to be the face of this league."

"Nicola Jokić was busy predicting double teams like he's got some cyberware installed."

"You get points for everything. So made baskets, miss baskets, fouls, free like everything, you get plus or minus points."

"There's no denying that Kyrie Irving is a very talented basketball player."

"Steph Curry belongs in the GOAT conversation."

"The greatest shooter of all time and he might be the best ball handler of all time."

"The goat conversation in the NBA is three people wide: LeBron, Michael, and Kareem."

"I remember there's one shot I made; it was LeBron's first year in LA. Ben gets a long rebound, I'm on a dead sprint to the right corner, catch the ball, turn all in one motion, and shoot it behind the backboard."

"I still think to this day, that was the greatest shot I ever made in my life."

"The league is second to none. I mean, this is the greatest high school basketball league in the world."

"T-Mac scored 13 points in 30 seconds; he did it, it happened; that's basketball."

"Great basketball is being played throughout the entire WNBA."

"One of the most impressive things about Eli Ellis is his ability to shoot the ball the same way every single time they pick the ball up."

"You can't beat high basketball IQ teams with a low basketball IQ team."

"What's interesting to me though about the switching against switchable lineups...teams have now figured out ways to exploit switching."

"If you're a fan of basketball, then you're probably aware of Wilt Chamberlain. He's one of the greatest centers of all time."

"The Suns are clicking; every night, someone new is performing."

"He just wants to hoop. He wants to play basketball."

"As a musician, it's just like sometimes in the NBA, right? We wish we'd seen certain matchups like we wish we'd seen Kobe versus LeBron in a Championship. We didn't get to see that history."

"It's not just about bias, it's bigger than basketball."

"You were not around for 2008; Dwight was one of the most dominant bigs I've ever seen."

"Growing up in Greece, I always wanted to be a basketball player, always. And I worked extremely hard to accomplish that."

"Michael Jordan's the best player of all time. I mean, yeah, I think he is."

"What a journey it has been. We'll see if Bulbul can cap it off with another ring."

"Growing up in Palo Alto, California, Jeremy Lin had a dream like any other kid who played basketball: he wanted to play in the greatest league in the world."

"First overall pick in the expansion draft is Jaylen. Jaylen Duran doesn't get protected in an expansion draft. That is ridiculous."

"We're praying that this draft class got a stud at the top, and that we win the lottery."

"Most improved player, baby. The Desmond Bane jerseys are flying off the shelves."

"Shaq is the most dominant force we've never seen."

"Basketball is not the most important thing. You just hope it's important enough."

"We're back in the finals, Jokic will be a fire matchup."

"Michael Jordan himself has said on countless occasions, 'Scottie is the greatest teammate I've ever had, and I owe my six titles to him.'"

"Michael Jordan is a six-time champion, a six-time NBA Finals MVP."

"Jordan Kilganon has changed the dunk culture. He's invented hundreds of dunks that people today use in dunk contests."

"KD is the best scorer in NBA history; he has zero flaws in his game."

"I don't play basketball for the money and the fame. I always play to change my family's life."

"The Ray Allen shot is still, I think, the greatest moment in NBA Finals history."

"I think Steph's going to age really well, assuming that he can stay healthy."

"Complete freedom. That's the only way to describe what was witnessed from LeBron in 2013."

"Jordan should be remembered as the greatest player who ever played the game." - Jazz coach Jerry Sloane

"You have to be willing to become someone new and can't tie your identity to basketball."

"He brings so much pressure and attention to himself that he does a good job of getting others involved."

"Dame will play in a supermarket if it's for an opportunity to win a championship."

"You have to be appreciative of basketball and great basketball."

"There are more highly skilled shot makers in the league than there've ever been."

"The most dangerous six-man was Jamal Crawford. He was a six-man that was going to embarrass you."

"He's changed the whole game of basketball globally."

"Mark Jackson played a very key role in the success we've had here."

"I get more out of getting assists than a point; like I feel like when I get an assist, I scored the point because I helped somebody else score."

"LeBron James, he carried this team in 2007, and can he carry this team all the way to the championship game?"

"The business of basketball starts to come into play, the politics."

"Basketball had become golf, and the Mike we all know would've been the last person on Earth who would ever accept that."

"All I do is play basketball. That was my escape, I think. Dealing with the trauma, losing my father, basketball always was a space where, when I'm doing that, I'm not thinking about anything other than basketball."

"Curry is the number one player in NBA history."

"He literally proved to everybody that he does not need KD to win a ring."

"Curry made all these players around him better."

"The game's given me everything. Yeah, I want to share it."

"Kyrie Irving just might be the greatest clutch shooter in the game right now."

"Against all odds, the Warriors are now the 2022 NBA Champions."

"In preparation for this video, I thought about some of the opinions I've had over the years about players, teams, eras, opinions that I know are probably subjective and completely false. But I usually try to stay as objective and non-biased as I can, do my research, refer to film, gather consensus when necessary. But in this video, I'm doing none of that."

"Curry hits insane full shot from tunnel, bro, hold up, what?"

"So I've created the ultimate NBA timeline, and by that I mean every impactful NBA legend in the history of the league will be in this video."

"Look at Curry, man. Just look at how much aura, energy, and impact he has on his sport."

"Curry's way better, bro. Stop it, bro. There's no more debate."

"Everybody knows that LeBron has the respect for longevity in the NBA, but Curry has to be next in the conversation."

"In the next round against the Washington Wizards, Thomas scored 53 points in an overtime win in game two, on what would have been his sister's 23rd birthday."

"By 1949, basketball was getting so popular that the BAA and the NBL merged, creating the NBA."

"Basketball was witnessing a new GOAT emerge, and the NBA was in the midst of its LeBron Era."

"LeBron James is arguably the greatest player of all time, but today we're going to see if Luka Doncic can step back into his shoes and live up to the height."

"New York Knicks basketball is back, and we win a championship."

"You can't trade him, and he has to play at least 40 minutes a game."

"We won 50 games with Felicio as our starting center. I cannot believe I just said that sentence."

"We're in the finals with Cristiano Felicio. That is so crazy, bro."

"Felicio shoots a whopping one for five, and I think three of those shots were from me. But we did it with Felicio as our starting center, we won an NBA championship."

"Nas Reed is arguably the best big man off the bench in the NBA."

"Shaq in 2000 versus the Pacers, he averaged 38 points, 16.7 rebounds...what the [__] could you do with Shaquille O'Neal at that point in his career?"

"Magic Johnson is the greatest Laker of all time."

"To pass LeBron James in all-time playoff scoring records, somebody is going to have to do what? Average 30 points a game and go to like 13 NBA Finals. That shit's not gonna be broken."

"He's the first rookie with 25 points, five assists, five blocks in consecutive games since blocks became official in 1973-1974."

"He's the first player ever in NBA history with 50 blocks and 25 made three-pointers over a 12 game span."

"LeBron's physical, if not athletic, ability is a gift. Larry's IQ and basketball competitiveness is uncanny."

"In a hypothetical draft, at any age, I'm going to take Larry Bird just a little bit over LeBron James."

"Imagine waking up one day and seeing that one of your basketball mixtapes has gone viral, reaching millions of people."

"Akil Carr was turning into something much bigger than basketball; he was turning into a Baltimore native legend."

"Surprisingly, Harden has been able to fulfill that role, and many would argue he has been able to exceed most expectations: eight-time All-Star, seven All-NBA selections, three-time scoring champ, and was named League MVP in 2018."

"The Lakers scored 39 points in the fourth quarter, 21 from GOAT James."

"Guys can look down their bench and feel that they have a guy who, no matter what, no matter who the opponent is, no matter what the stakes are, no matter what's going on, he will help them win the game."

"He's the best process we've seen since LeBron James, a generational talent."

"With him his 19-year career, he alongside his teammate Karl Malone, popularized the offensive scheme the pick-and-roll to the point where in today's NBA so many other point guards benefitted immensely."

"Magic Johnson undeniably is the most accomplished point guard in NBA history."

"We're so blessed... every day I wake up and they pay me to sit courtside to watch a basketball game."

"LeBron since the All-Star break: playing more minutes, averaging more points, assists have gone up, rebounds have gone up, and shooting 57% from the field, 48% from three."

"How would Yao Ming's game translate in this modern NBA? Very well. He can pass, he can shoot, he can shoot free throws."

"A human being that is able to walk the same as everybody else, that's able to breathe the same, that goes to the bathroom the same, that eats the same as a regular human being averaged not even just scored 100 points in one game, averaged 50 points per game in one NBA season bro."

"He dropped 55 points on Michael Jordan... He had one of the legendary moments."

"One of the best athletes to ever touch a basketball."

"One of the most influential players in all of basketball history."

"The most amazing thing that I've seen in basketball footwear."

"The Utah Jazz now have Luca Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, and Rudy Gobert. Insane."

"Chris Paul ends this what if with two championships and two finals MVPs."

"Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant signed with the New York Knicks on a discounted price."

"Kawhi Leonard is going to the Lakers to team up with Anthony Davis and LeBron James."

"The Houston Rockets versus the Los Angeles Lakers. Who wins? I got the Lakers winning this in a very hard-fought six games."

"The Los Angeles Lakers again are just too much and they beat the Heat in five games to still become your 2020 NBA champions."

"This clip right here may go down as one of the most iconic clips in basketball history."

"Celtics, Jesus Christ. I only was able to watch highlights, but my god, Jason Williams, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart."

"I'm just upon home, he's got 17 and lines back-to-back best is here by young."

"This is back-to-back 35-40 footers by Trey Young."

"AD was magnificent... getting his body in better shape... just willing himself to go out there and do what the team needs on both ends especially defensively."

"Feels good." - Javonte Taylor on winning the Slam Dunk contest.

"You know NBA basketball is back so I'm happy."

"James back with LeBron, got it. Another three. The King. The Chosen One by himself outscored the entire Clippers Squad in that fourth quarter."

"The Miami Heat have advanced to the finals again."

"It's official, the Lakers are NBA champions once again."

"Kobe was a phenomenon, he was my generation's basically Michael Jordan."

"Kobe Bryant is not only efficient, but there are very legitimate arguments that back up the claim that he is one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen."

"Kobe, another three... now look, whether you are 12 years old and still have hoop dreams or you're 24 and you're trying to learn how to be better virtually, this right here is a master class."

"I've never seen a fan-base so loyal to a player like the Kobe fans are to him."

"The final portion of the conclusion was that there did not appear to be any kind of a malevolent or hostile threat involved because if there had been there was absolutely nothing we could do."

"Whatever you think about Kobe's career, the one thing you can't question is his dedication to the game of basketball."

"Kobe showed up when his team needed him the most."

"I got vision, you don't dunk bro, you're a 99."

"Lamelo Ball has more star power than any prospect in the 2020 draft class."

"KD was a bucket from the start and by year three he would break out into superstardom."

"KD's individual success in the early phase of his career could certainly be claimed to look like a GOAT trajectory."

"KD scores the ball as well as anybody throughout history right."

"KD is a better bucket getter than any player ever, the best scorer of all time for that reason."

"Kevin Durant is the king of buckets and hey if you're going to Crown the king of buckets I completely understand why Durant would be your pick."

"10 seconds left... Oh Kobe! He goes right, he loses Jalen, he loses him again. Going right, step back. He has a three-point shot, he's not gonna shoot... He's gonna shoot it anyways!"

"Kobe Bryant has retired from the NBA after 20 years."

"He had the most 40-point games in NBA history, surpassing Michael Jordan by three."

"Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen."

"LeBron James is one of the greatest well-rounded players the NBA has ever seen."

"Kobe Bryant has retired from the National Basketball Association. He averaged 28 points per game, five assists, three rebounds, one steal."

"People carry the MJ attitude in Chicago because you saw it you really saw the work ethic."

"He had 18 rebounds last night too... he was destroying the Wizards inside the way he can play."

"Look at that we can assist master Iowa's this Rose the whole time and look at those assists ten ten assists very sick."

"It's very engaging getting lied to by a story and having to put the pieces together yourself."

"Believe he's going to be the MVP again, he's going to be the first person to win it twice by the age of 26."

"He scores the ball, he defends, he crashes the boards, and he does this while being very efficient."

"He's a walking double-double and has mastered a dying art: rebounding."

"He's been the guy his entire life, but he showed in Vegas that he can play in a winning system."

"You can't judge LeBron's path off of... look at that Lakers roster."

"Bowden is the single reason that this Tennessee team is even in the game."

"Tennessee back in the lead under three minutes to go."

"Russell Westbrook, a guy who has no championships, wins his first ever championship."

"Nobody talks about that Rick Fox real [ __ ] for throwing that assist BR legendary."

"Miles Bridges is a guy I'm very high on... I think he can actually have a really nice year."

"Cade Cunningham, 23 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 47-40-92 splits... I'm so glad I drafted him."

"RJ Barrett with MVP 22 9 points 7 rebounds 8 assists."

"The actual shot had the most things going on until somebody makes a half-court shot to win a series or something."

"He swung multiple finals, that's all that matters."

"This has been an outstanding performance by Caitlyn Clark."

"Impressive was the dunk, it was awesome, there's no doubt about it."

"I watch that Anthony Edwards dunk and I say that might be better than any in-game dunk Jordan ever had."

"Probably grabbing a quick snack watching me drop 100 points. I mean, wow."

"This game right here is the highest scoring game in 2K league 5v5 public tryouts history."

"So the Memphis Grizzlies put it all and Finals MVP is John Moran."

"Let's sweep the pastries and go on to the Eastern Conference semifinals."

"Can we win Game five and go to the NBA Finals?"

"The most exciting player in college basketball takes the floor once again tonight."

"My favorite NBA player of all time is Dr. J."