10 Famous Athlete Quotes

Athletes have a knack for inspiring people to greatness, with depth of character, and sometimes even humor, as evidenced by these 10 famous athlete quotes. The next time your game needs a lift, or you just need a good chuckle about life, consider what these athletes have to say. Some are inspirational. Some are thought-provoking. The rest are simply good for a laugh.

1. “It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.” In terms of famous athlete quotes, Hank Aaron lamenting on his poor golf skills is funny, but offers a moral. Even the best of the best can’t be good at everything.
2. “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan is always good for inspirational famous athlete quotes.
3. “Through my illness I learned rejection. I was written off. That was the moment I thought, Okay, game on. No prisoners. Everybody's going down.” Who can resist famous athlete quotes from Lance Armstrong, king of the comeback? You have to respect a guy who takes cancer as a reason to kick the competition’s butt.
4. “Cobb is a prick, but he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit.” Babe Ruth had a knack for saying it like it is, and for that, his are some of the most famous athlete quotes. However, you have to admit, the guy never took away from his competitors’ or successor’s talents, even if he didn’t care for them.
5. “A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.” Muhammad Ali’s most famous athlete quote (“Float like a butterfly…”) gives little hint to the man behind the legend. But this quote? This quote is spoken like a man who knows what it means to evolve and grow. Life changes you. If it doesn’t, you’re doing it wrong.
6. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Wayne Gretzky couldn’t have said it better. Oh wait, he already did by making this famous athlete quote first.
7. “Life is not a spectator sport.” Jackie Robinson has some of the absolute best famous athlete quotes of any athlete. This is just one shining example.
8. “Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great.” Billie Jean King makes the list with this quote because girl athletes say cool stuff too.
9. “Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.” After winning the Australian Open eight times, Serena Williams makes winning look easy. But we all know anything worthwhile takes hard work and seizing opportunities.
10. And last but not least to make the list of famous athlete quotes, let’s try a little humor. Gordie Howe once said “American professional athletes are bilingual; they speak English and profanity” and truer words were never spoken. If only he could have heard what the fans say.