25 best sports quotes

In celebration of The Philippine STAR’s 25th anniversary, we’re listing 25 of the best sports quotes we’ve encountered in the course of research, exchanging information and covering the beat.

1 – “Boxing isn’t killing each other” by Manny Pacquiao after allowing a battered Antonio Margarito to survive the 12-round distance on his feet in their WBC superwelterweight title fight in Arlington, Texas, last year.

2 – “Manny changed my life” by Freddie Roach who made the admission during a one-on-one interview about how his career as a trainer took a sharp upturn after taking Manny Pacquiao under his wing in 2001.

3 – “When I was coaching San Miguel in the PBA, we won back-to-back-to-back-to-back, four titles in a row – that’s the experience I’m hoping to share with Ateneo, how we managed to stay hungry to win four straight” by Blue Eagles coach Norman Black before this UAAP season.

4 – “I know what being an underdog is like, I’ve always believed that adversity builds character ... losing is hard to swallow, you can’t sleep well at night” by Smart Gilas national basketball team captain Chris Tiu.

5 – “I honestly think Manny (Pacquiao) ranks among the three greatest Filipinos recognized all over the world for bringing honor and glory to our country – the others are Carlos P. Romulo and President Cory Aquino” by the late Rudy Salud.

6 – “To my coach, mentor and faithful friend, I am truly grateful God gave me the blessing of knowing you in this lifetime – time spent on your birthdays, welcoming the new year in Bora, the humbling moments in victories and heartbreaking losses and the valuable lessons inside and outside the court; there will only be one COACH with that old cap” by Ginebra San Miguel coach Joseph Uichico on Ron Jacobs.

7 – “This isn’t about the Gilas program anymore, it’s about getting results – the challenge is to win the FIBA-Asia championship so we can qualify for the London Olympics” by Smart Gilas national basketball team coach Rajko Toroman.

8 – “I realize our goal is to win that elusive gold medal in the Olympics; inevitably, it will come from a sport with weight classifications like boxing, taekwondo or weightlifting ... together with the POC, we’ll do our best to achieve that objective ... the key is transparency, I don’t decide on things alone, the Board now meets twice a week to take up requests from NSAs and others” by PSC chairman Richie Garcia.

9 – “This will put the Philippines back in the Asian sports map, if not the world – we’ll take this opportunity to showcase our country in this national effort” by POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. as he announced the Philippines was awarded the rights to host the 100th year celebration of the Asian Games in 2013.

10 – “There’s only one way to think about this game and one way to play it – that’s all out, foot to the floor, pushing myself as hard as I can for as long as I can, I love playing basketball” by Earvin (Magic) Johnson.

11 – “I am a fighter who walks, talks and thinks fighting but I try not to look like it” – by Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

12 – “My toughest fight was with my first wife” by Muhammad Ali.

13 – “Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in much danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter’s honor” by Ernest Hemingway.

14 – “My sister’s expecting a baby and I don’t know if I’m going to be an uncle or aunt: – former NBA player Chuck Nevitt on why he was nervous at practice.

15 – “Fear is your best friend or your worst enemy – it’s like fire, if you can control it, it can cook for you, it can heat your house ... if you can’t control it, it will burn everything around you and destroy you” by the late boxing trainer Cus D’Amato.

16 – “A truly great player makes the worst player on the team good” by Hall of Fame basketball player Oscar Robertson.

17 – “I never thought I’d lead the NBA in rebounding but I got a lot of help from my teammates – they did a lot of missing” by Moses Malone.

18 – “If one’s reputation is a possession, then of all my possessions, my reputation means the most to me” by the late tennis legend Arthur Ashe.

19 – “Running is the greatest metaphor for life because you get out of it what you put into it” by Oprah Winfrey.

20 – “Sports cut across racial, language, cultural and national boundaries – it is what countries should use to compete instead of war” by former NBA cager Hakeem Olajuwon, a Nigerian who became a naturalized US citizen to play for the American team that captured the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

21 – “You’re going to win the majority of points on your first serve but you’re only as good as your second serve” by tennis legend Pete Sampras.

22 – “Volleyball is among the purest of team sports; it is virtually impossible for one player to dominate the game as a great running back in football or a tremendous shooter in basketball” by volleyball coach Doug Beal.

23 – “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them” by Michael Jordan.

24 – “Size is not the measure of a man’s worth unless you are talking about the size of his heart” by Wilt Chamberlain.

25 – “I’m very aggressive; to ask me to suppress that can be extremely frustrating, but it’s for the benefit of the team ... that’s why I get so upset when people say, ‘Kobe’s selfish’ – I’m like, ‘Yo, do you know what I’m doing here?” by Kobe Bryant.