Discover the hidden wisdom in these powerful John Wooden Quotes.
When it comes to wisdom, few people have left a legacy quite like John Wooden. Known as one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, Wooden wasn’t just about winning games—he was about building character, inspiring excellence, and teaching life lessons that resonate far beyond the court.
Whether you’re a sports enthusiast or just someone looking for a bit of guidance, John Wooden’s quotes are a goldmine of practical advice and timeless wisdom.
So, if you’re ready to get motivated, let’s dive into some of his most memorable quotes that have stood the test of time.
John Wooden Quotes
1. “I think you have to be what you are. Don’t try to be somebody else. You have to be yourself at all times.”
2. “Never mistake activity for achievement.”
3. “I think permitting the game to become too physical takes away a little bit of the beauty.”
4. “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”
5. “I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs.”
6. “Well, if you’re true to yourself you’re going to be true to everyone else.”
7. “I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.”
8. “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”
9. “Happiness begins where selfishness ends.”
10. “Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life.”
11. “I like to spend time in the past, with the things that have been important to me.”
12. “It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it.”
13. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
14. “Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating…too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a living they forget to make a life.”
15. “Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”
16. “All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.”
17. “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”
18. “Never try to be better than someone else. Learn from others, and try to be the best you can be. Success is the by-product of that preparation.”
19. “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.”
20. “I had three rules for my players: No profanity. Don’t criticize a teammate. Never be late.”
21. “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
22. “Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”
23. “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
24. “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”
25. “I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn’t try to run their lives.”
26. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
27. “Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books—especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.”
28. “Ability is a poor man’s wealth.”
29. “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”
30.”Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.”
31. “The best competition I have is against myself to become better.”
32. “Earn the right to be proud and confident.”
33. “You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.”
34. “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”
35. “Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.”
36. “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”
37. “Discipline yourself, and others won’t need to.”
38. “Today is the only day. Yesterday is gone.”
39. “Tell the truth. That way you don’t have to remember a story.”
40. “I don’t think I was a fine game coach. I’m trying to be honest. I think I was a good practice coach.”
41. “No one can really honestly be the very best, no one.”
42. “I think that in any group activity—whether it be business, sports or family—there has to be leadership or it won’t be successful.”
43. “Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.”
44. “Just do the best you can. No one can do more than that.”
45. “The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”
46. “Be prepared and be honest.”
47. “I don’t believe in praying to win.”
48. “It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.”
49. “Listen if you want to be heard.”
50. “Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.”
51. “I worry that business leaders are more interested in material gain than they are in having the patience to build up a strong organization, and a strong organization starts with caring for their people.”
52. “You can do more good by being good than any other way.”
53. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
54.”I seldom was ever off my seat on the bench during the game.”
55. “Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.”
56. “You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes”
57. “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”
58. “We can have no progress without change, whether it be basketball or anything else.”
59. “Nothing will work unless you do.”
60. “Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.”
61. “If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.”
62. “I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.”
63. “Well, your greatest joy definitely comes from doing something for another, especially when it was done with no thought of something in return.”
64. “The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.”
65. “It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.”
66. “Just try to be the best you can be; never cease trying to be the best you can be. That’s in your power.”
67. “Love is the most important thing in the world. Hate, we should remove from the dictionary.”
68. “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
69. “Right now what I need to think about is what would be possible, not all the reasons I can’t make a change.”
70. “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”
