Rick Pitino Quotes
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Live in the precious present.
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Success is determined by your daily choices and habits.
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The whole NIT we're playing great defense, that's what we're trying to stress. We talked about, we can't hang our heads because we had injuries, we can't hang our heads because we're young. If you can head to the NIT Final Four, it means you're playing good basketball.
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I actually think if you have a strong junior class, that's the best possible scenario. In their senior year, guys who are on the threshold of making it to the NBA start getting preoccupied in their thoughts elsewhere more than concerning themselves with the present. The junior class is the perfect age.
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Tackle the difficult things first in the morning; make changes in the way you network. Treat everyone with respect and dignity. This stops you from cynicism and negativity. End your day with that same attitude you started. Renew your contract with a day well completed.
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We've accomplished what we've wanted to accomplish, record-wise. But we're nowhere near where we should be or where we ought to be.
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This group is inexperienced, but once they start practicing together more, I think the sky is the limit to how good they can become. We've won all our games not because of who we played but because we've played them all at home. It will be interesting to see how they handle going into this environment.
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I'd learned how much happiness money can bring you. Very little.
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Working hard is not always fun - that's why it is called work.
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True motivation is not getting people to play to their potential. It's getting people to play beyond their potential.
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I care what people think, but it doesn't change my opinion of how to do things.
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I've tried to talk to him about it. He's not playing with Francisco, Larry (O'Bannon) and Ellis. And they know every little move that each other makes. He's playing with all new people. They don't know each other. He's got to let the game come to him and trust his teammates. And the more he goes inside to (center) David (Padgett) the more open shots he's going to get.
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I've never beaten a team that played that well. This is the gutsiest, most phenomenally tough group that I've ever been around.
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The bone's 6 inches out of his leg and all he's yelling is, 'Win the game, win the game.' I've not seen that in my life. Pretty special young man. I don't think we could have gathered ourselves - I know I couldn't have - if Kevin didn't say over and over again, 'Just go win the game,' I don't think we could have gone in the locker room with a loss after seeing that. We had to gather ourselves. We couldn't lose this game for him. We just couldn't.
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I learned quickly that motivating people would be the most important responsibility of my career.
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I never thought that shoes would be the reason that you recruit players, but it's a factor. I think we need to get the shoe companies out of the lives of the athletes. I think we need to get it back to where parents and coaches have more of a say than peripheral people, but that's easier said than done.
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When you have a problem, if you tell the truth, the problem becomes part of your past. If you lie, it becomes part of your future.
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Basketball is my passion, and I love it, and I love to see my players succeed. I'm here for them and my children. That's my passion.
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Football is only once a week. NASCAR is once a week. Those sports are insanely popular. Horse racing is oversaturated. Unless tracks cut back to three days a week of full fields, a lot of people will really hurt down the road. Horse racing, to survive, has to go to that. Let's face it: Churchill Downs only does well on Derby Week.
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I think they'll come back because they should. One more year and they'll be ready for the next level.
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Failure is good. It's fertilizer. Everything I've learned about coaching, I've learned from making mistakes.
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Long term success is a direct result of what you achieve everyday. Goals provide your daily routine.
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The more you lose, the more positive you have to become. When you're winning, you can ride players harder because their self-esteem is high. If you are losing and you try to be tough, you're asking for dissension.
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He knew I enjoyed the relationships of college basketball. All along, he was the wise one.