Top 24 Quotes & Sayings by Scott Brooks

Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American coach Scott Brooks.
Last updated on April 14, 2025.
Scott Brooks

Scott William Brooks is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the top assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played point guard at San Joaquin Delta College and Texas Christian University before playing his last two years at the University of California, Irvine. He was inducted into UCI's Hall of Fame in 2001.

I've been around young, talented, non-coachable players. I've been around veteran, talented, non-coachable players. No matter what you do, sooner or later - even if a coach comes in that's able to connect with them - if that's who they are, they're going to go back to it.
The NBA needs more of that 'it's-about-us-against-them' mentality.
You worked every day to earn what's on the table, literally. It was a week-to-week thing. And I wouldn't change it. I would not change it for anything. — © Scott Brooks
You worked every day to earn what's on the table, literally. It was a week-to-week thing. And I wouldn't change it. I would not change it for anything.
When you have an intense game, you're going to have arguments. I have no problem with it. I think it's healthy.
Mind games to me are overrated.
I've never talked to our guys about being young. That's an easy crutch to fall on. You really just have to come in and build the spirit up of your team by working them everyday, showing them examples of what they've done and reinforce their work.
You learn from playing against the best players and the best teams, and we're going to keep fighting and figuring out ways to beat them.
There are 30 great jobs in the NBA, and I've got one of them.
I believe this with all my heart: The greatest coach of all time in my eyes is my mom. She's instilled in me a toughness and a perseverance and just a never-quit mentality, and I thank her every day for providing me, for what she sacrificed her life for.
I'm very thankful to players like John Stockton and Spud Webb. They've made it possible for someone like me to make it. I think teams are actually looking for one player under 6-feet now, because they make things happen.
There's nothing that you can say in the paper that should affect you.
When you don't have much and you need to be at work, there's no such thing as being sick.
You play 20 games, you have one bad game, I think any team in this league will live with that.
When you get punched, you have to get up. You have no other choice. If you don't, you're not going to grow, you're not going to get better as a player.
You really just have to come in and build the spirit up of your team by working them everyday, showing them examples of what they've done and reinforce their work.
You don't think the losing is ever going to end, but when it does end, you get to enjoy it and keep working with it and keep getting it better, and that's where we are.
The more games you coach, the more comfortable you feel.
Progress and Poverty was the most closely knit, fascinating, and convincing specimen of argumentation that, I believe, ever sprang from the mind of man.
To this day, I hate walnuts and I hate onions because on weekends when the walnuts and onions were in season, we were out there first thing in the morning and out there until the sun went down topping onions or picking walnuts.
You can have great players, but if they don't want to be coached, what are you going to do? — © Scott Brooks
You can have great players, but if they don't want to be coached, what are you going to do?
I was the youngest of seven kids and I would not have been able to go to college without an athletic scholarship.
You can have great players, but if they dont want to be coached, what are you going to do?
When you get punched, you have to get up.You have no other choice. If you don't, you're not going to grow, you're not going to get better as a player.
We had a great preseason. The guys responded with what coach (George Karl) wanted early on in pace of the game, togetherness and defensive intensity. We've improved in those areas with a couple of setbacks, but we've improved each game.
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