33 of the Best Gregg Popovich Quotes (BASKETBALL)

Top 10 Most Famous Gregg Popovich Quotes (BEST)

Basketball is a pretty simple game. What wins is consistency and competitiveness. — Basketball is a pretty simple game. What wins is **consistency** and competitiveness.

It's not about any one person. You've got to get over yourself and realize that it takes a group to get this thing done. — It’s not about any one person. You’ve got to get over yourself and realize that it takes a group to get this thing done.

No one is bigger than the team. If you can't do things our way, you're not getting time here and we don't care who you are. — No one is bigger than the team. If you can’t do things our way, you’re not getting **time** here and we don’t care who you are.

The measure of who we are is how we react to something that doesn't go our way. — The measure of who we are is how we react to something that doesn’t go our way.

'Play the right way' means play unselfishly, respect each other's achievements, play hard, fulfill your role. — ‘Play the right way’ means play unselfishly, **respect** each other’s achievements, play hard, fulfill your role.

We believe in people executing their role and caring about the team more than anything individually. — We **believe** in people executing their role and caring about the team more than anything individually.

It's never been my goal to be king of the prom. It's been my goal to do the right thing and get the job done. — It’s never been my **goal** to be king of the prom. It’s been my goal to do the right thing and get the job done.

I'm not too interested in talking about the past. It doesn't do us any good whatsoever. — I’m not too interested in talking about the past. It doesn’t do us any good whatsoever.

The older you get the more you try to appreciate what you've accomplished. — The older you get the more you try to **appreciate** what you’ve **accomplished**.

I try not to get impressed. I just try to look at what I see.

11 Gregg Popovich Quotes on His Coaching Style, Defense, and Teamwork

“I asked them if it wasn’t too much trouble, if I wasn’t being too pushy, if they could execute what we were trying to do. And if it didn’t make them too angry, if they also wanted to play some defense on the other end, that would be great.”
Gregg Popovich

I can't make every decision for you. I don't have 14 timeouts. You guys got to get together and talk. — I can’t make every decision for you. I don’t have 14 timeouts. You guys got to get together and talk.

“We changed our rules. If a player does not have some sot of altercation on or off the court once each month, we fine him… The guys that are our top four scorers, each of them will be required once every two months to appear on MTV. The guys who shoot the worst free throws over a one-month period, next time we have a TV game they’re required to look into the camera and beat their chests after they make a good play.”
Gregg Popovich

Stop by stop by stop. Play aggressively. Sprint back on 'D' and pay attention to how we're supposed to guard as a team. — Stop by stop by stop. Play aggressively. Sprint back on ‘D’ and pay attention to how we’re supposed to guard as a team.

“Eliminating back-to-backs when you go in the wrong direction and lose time and go to bed at 4 in the morning for the second game is very difficult for teams, as we have learned. You just can’t bring the juice for 48 minutes. It shows in the discipline on the court and the execution on the court. If it was possible to change the entire schedule for everybody to have fewer of those, the quality would improve, without a doubt.”
Gregg Popovich

You have to make shots to win basketball games and we didn't do that. You also have to get back on defense, so it was a double-whammy. — You have to make shots to win basketball games and we didn’t do that. You also have to get back on defense, so it was a double-whammy.

“We suck on ‘D. Both individually and team-wise, we suck. We’re pretty consistent that way. I don’t know if I have an answer to that. If I did, we wouldn’t suck quite so bad.”
Gregg Popovich

And I look forward to seeing all of you in four or five years when we have the next Nellie retirement party in another town.

“How do I describe the win? It’s a good win. I don’t know how you describe a win. It’s better than a loss. I’m not trying to be flip or anything. I just don’t know how you describe wins.”
Gregg Popovich

I hope I can coach long enough to get more than anybody has ever had. — I **hope** I can coach long enough to get more than anybody has ever had.

“It’s the most important thing in my life. My grandchildren can take a hike. What I might do when I retire, what kind of wine I’m going to drink — all those things pale in comparison when I think about how many wins I have.”
Gregg Popovich

6 Gregg Popovich Quotes About Basketball and Some Players

“They won’t choose Joakim Noah as the MVP, but I think it’s great that he’s in the conversation and he should be. But it’s just not the way it works, from my experience. It’s got to go in the basket for you guys to pay attention to somebody. But he’s pretty damn valuable in my opinion.”
Gregg Popovich

Basketball's a game of mistakes. — Basketball’s a game of mistakes.

I don't pick and choose what LeBron should talk about any more than any talking heads who try to pick and choose. — I don’t pick and choose what **LeBron** should talk about any more than any talking heads who try to pick and choose.

We would have two less championships here if it was not for Manu Ginobili. In my eyes, he's the stud of the world. — We would have two less championships here if it was not for **Manu Ginobili**. In my eyes, he’s the stud of the world.

I'm not one to blow smoke at my players. They kicked our butts on the offensive boards. And it's not just because the ball came their way. — I’m not one to blow smoke at my players. They kicked our butts on the offensive boards. And it’s not just because the ball came their way.

“In Phil’s case, I was personally thrilled he came back, because I think it’s huge for the league. When you think about what he’s done and how many championships he’s won, there’s always drama when he comes back in.”
Gregg Popovich

4 Gregg Popovich Quotes About Life

“Sometimes, when life moves along, you’re presented with situations where you find it necessary to speak because so many people either seem to be afraid to or, more sinister, are unwilling to face things and let things go and worry about their own situations.”
Gregg Popovich

Because we are all rich as hell and we don't need it all, and other people need it. And you're an ass if you don't give it. — Because we are all **rich** as hell and we don’t need it all, and other people need it. And you’re an ass if you don’t **give** it.

I don’t even understand the word ‘happy.' 'Happy’ is a stupid word. It really is. It makes no sense. — I don’t even understand the word ‘**happy**.’ ‘Happy’ is a stupid word. It really is. It makes no sense.

“When I came down to St. Croix to see Timmy eight or nine years ago, nobody said a word to me (about driving on the left side),… I got my rental car and I went out on the road, and I was gesticulating at like 10 people before I realized I was the jerk.”
Gregg Popovich

2 Controversial Gregg Popovich Quotes About Being Born White

“If you read some of the recent literature, there is no such thing as whiteness. But we made it up. Not my original thought, but it’s true. Because you were born white, you have advantages systemically, culturally, psychology there. They have been built up for hundreds of years. Many people can’t look at it.”
Gregg Popovich