Top 200 Michael Jordan Quotes (2025 Update)
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51. “Winners don’t just learn the fundamentals, they master them. You have to monitor your fundamentals constantly because the only thing that changes will be your attention to them.”

— Michael Jordan

52. “Excellence isn’t a one-week or one-year ideal. It’s a constant.”

— Michael Jordan

53. “I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me. Failure always made me try harder next time.”

— Michael Jordan

54. “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.”

— Michael Jordan

55. “I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot. When you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.”

— Michael Jordan

56. “Any fear is an illusion. You think something is standing in your way, but nothing is really there. What is there is an opportunity to do your best and gain some success.”

— Michael Jordan

57. “I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.”

— Michael Jordan

58. “Success isn’t something you chase. It’s something you have to put forth the effort for constantly. Then maybe it’ll come when you least expect it. Most people don’t understand that.”

— Michael Jordan

59. “If you put your mind to doing whatever it is you want to do, good things can happen.”

— Michael Jordan

60. “If it turns out that my best wasn’t good enough, at least I won’t look back and say that I was afraid to try; failure makes me work even harder.”

— Michael Jordan

61. “Nothing of value comes without being earned.”

— Michael Jordan

62. “Be optimistic about everything in life.”

— Michael Jordan

63. “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.”

— Michael Jordan

64. “Don’t let them drag you down by rumors just go with what you believe in.”

— Michael Jordan

65. “My heroes are and were my parents. I can’t see having anyone else as my heroes.”

— Michael Jordan

66. “If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.”

— Michael Jordan

67. “A loss is not a failure until you make an excuse.”

— Michael Jordan

68. “I’ll quit competing when my heart quits beating.”

— Michael Jordan

69. “Every time I feel tired while I am exercising and training, I close my eyes to see that picture, to see that list with my name. This usually motivates me to work again.”

— Michael Jordan

70. “Being afraid on the court means you’re not confident of your skills.”

— Michael Jordan

71. “Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night.”

— Michael Jordan

72. “Each time I step on the basketball court, I never know what will happen. I live for the moment. I play for the moment.”

— Michael Jordan

73. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you.”

— Michael Jordan

74. “There was never any fear for me, no fear of failure. If I miss a shot, so what?”

— Michael Jordan

75. “People ask me if I could fly, I said, ‘yes... for a little while.’”

— Michael Jordan

76. “I just feel that my competitive drive is far greater than anyone else that I’ve met, and I think that I thrive on that.”

— Michael Jordan

77. “I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.”

— Michael Jordan

78. “Success doesn’t stop when you get there.”

— Michael Jordan

79. “You have to be un-compromised in your level of commitment to whatever you are doing, or it can disappear as fast as it appeared. Commitment cannot be compromised by rewards.”

— Michael Jordan

80. “I have failed many times, but I have never gone into a game expecting myself to fail.”

— Michael Jordan

81. “If I have an agenda or a goal, no one is going to deter me from what I want to do.”

— Michael Jordan

82. “Even when I’m old and grey, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.”

— Michael Jordan

83. “The game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can’t let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.”

— Michael Jordan

84. “Never think of the consequences of failing for you will always think of a negative result. Think only positive thoughts and your mind will gravitate towards those thoughts!”

— Michael Jordan

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

— Michael Jordan

86. “I’m not afraid to take a step and if I fall, I fall. I pick myself up and move on. If we can all learn one thing in life, it’s don’t be afraid to take on something that you believe you’re capable of achieving.”

— Michael Jordan

87. “Fundamentals were the most crucial part of my game in the NBA. Everything I did, everything I achieved, can be traced back to the way I approached the fundamentals.”

— Michael Jordan

88. “The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.”

— Michael Jordan

89. “Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

— Michael Jordan

90. “Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds both mentally and physically.”

— Michael Jordan

91. “Not every flying hero has a cape.”

— Michael Jordan

92. “We’re not winning because of talent. We’re just beating bad teams.”

— Michael Jordan

93. “It’s always been said that when I can’t find a way to do anything, I will find a way to do it.”

— Michael Jordan

94. “If I had been playing for money I would have complained a long time ago that I was underpaid.”

— Michael Jordan

95. “I Own the guy guarding me.”

— Michael Jordan

96. “Basketball isn’t just about the bright lights, packed arenas and highlight reels. Basketball is a way of life. Basketball is a relationship between you and the ball, you and your teammates. If you love the game, nobody can take that from you.”

— Michael Jordan

97. “I don’t know about flying, but sometimes it feels like I have these little wings on my feet.”

— Michael Jordan

98. “I never thought a role model should be negative.”

— Michael Jordan

99. “I am competing with what I am capable of.”

— Michael Jordan

100. “I’m retired 99.9%. Of course, there always is that .1%.”

— Michael Jordan