There has never been a great athlete who died not knowing what pain is.
Interpretation
Great athletes understand and endure pain as part of their journey to excellence.
This quote emphasizes that true greatness in athletics is earned through the experience of pain and struggle. It suggests that the path to success in sports is not devoid of challenges, and those who achieve greatness must confront and learn from their pain, as it shapes their character and resilience.
In practice
In a motivational speech to young athletes, you could use this quote to highlight the importance of perseverance in sports.
Why do we fully tax some kinds of income from capital, like interest and dividends; partially tax other kinds like capital gains; defer tax on other kinds, like IRAs; and impose no tax at all on still other types of capital income, like interest on municipal bonds? This simply is not rational. These distinctions don't have any inherent logic.
Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it. No destructive lies. No ridiculous fears. No debilitating anger.
Becoming number one is easier than remaining number one.
Every time I have some moment on a seashore, or in the mountains, or sometimes in a quiet forest, I think this is why the environment has to be preserved.
Basketball can serve as a kind of metaphor for ultimate cooperation. It is a sport where success, as symbolized by the championship, requires that the dictates of community prevail over selfish impulses.
We need to get beyond the politics of the moment, the deficit of the hour, the military count of the day, the numbers that rarely shape events. Our long-term interests must be in people and in the values of democracy and individual liberty.
Yes, Roger Hunt misses a few, but he gets in the right place to miss them.
Everybody's story of getting into the industry is just as difficult as the next person. Whether you come from money or no money, it's not easy... you have to offer yourself; you can't expect someone to get you.
An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.
When they say my name, I want them to say the Phoenix Mercury and vice versa. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I may not hit 50, 40 or 30 home runs, but I can do the little things like moving runners over that don't show up in the box score.
I tell people in their careers, 'Look for growth. Look for the teams that are growing quickly. Look for the companies that are doing well. Look for a place where you feel that you can have a lot of impact.'
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