Top 66 John Calipari Quotes

Let the D-League be for players who have been in the NBA, who are on the fringe, and that want to fight like heck to get in the NBA. They should have a living wage, not $17,000 to $25,000. A living wage.

If a guy can bully you, he will bully you.

I was a very average-at-best player.

I have bobby pins everywhere.

People, on their bucket lists, are saying, ‘I want to see a game at Rupp Arena.’ Magic Johnson will call and say, ‘I want to come to the game tonight. I want to see John Wall or Anthony Davis or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.’ It’s become fashionable to be seen here, because people want to be seen and associated with success.

We don’t get every kid. We get the ones we are supposed to get. It just kind of plays out that way, and it always has.

All my best players have been really good guys, which means I can coach them.

If you react to every barking dog, if you stop for every barking dog, you’re never getting home.

I’m going to continue to see my friends who coach in the NBA and see my former players who play in the NBA. I’m going to continue to go to games.

In my humble opinion, again, to perform at Alabama, you must earn the spot and not have it given to you. You have to fight like crazy to keep the spot and that it’s not guaranteed – it’s week to week – and you’ll play in a way that they have a chance to win a championship.

I never thought Marquis Teague would leave after a year.

Any coach out there that wants to lose, you make sure they put raisins in the breakfast oatmeal. You’ll go down, don’t worry about that.

You wish there was more consistency about how they do things in the NCAA.

In most cases, in this sport, for guys to advance in this sport, you gotta fight. If you don’t fight, you’re not making it, because it’s too competitive.

My vision is one of celebrations and banquets, diplomas and banners, rings and parades.

Everybody wants to say that Kentucky fans are vicious or obnoxious. They’re not. They’re crazy in that they watch the tape of our games more than I do. But they’re passionate and smart.

Kentucky is the best job in basketball coaching. Why would I leave?

If you recruit a kid, and you’re promising him the world, how in the world are you going to coach him in that short a period of time to do that?

You cannot please everybody. You keep marching forward.

The best food I’ve had in Lexington is Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt. It’s non-guilt ice cream!

I’m not a big proponent of the league tournament.

I majored in business/marketing because I was going to be a teacher and a high school basketball coach.

I think part of the reason some coaches don’t want to be involved with social media is that they expect to be able to do it at a certain level. A lot of them are like, ‘I’m not going to do it if we can’t hit 100,000 or 200,000 followers.’ Well, you’re not going to right away.

I’ve had transfer students who have never seen the inside of their previous coach’s house.

We should not go to a baseball rule. If a kid goes to college and, after a year or two, wants to go to the NBA and is good enough – and he grew, he got bigger, he got more confidence – let him go. Why would you now force a kid to go two years?

If I’m up at 4 in the morning, it’s because I’m just coming in.

I’m not embarrassed about how we recruit, how we treat kids, and how we coach them.

Every one of us in this country is based on you’ve gotta take care of yourself.

He helped my career, helped me basketball-wise and every other way. I’m a big fan of Thibs.

I tweet, Facebook, website, but guess what? Do I look at any response? Have I ever looked at a response? I wouldn’t know how to get in.

So kids that have pro potential and want to take a loan so that their families don’t have to deal with it, why can’t you?

There are no boys in this game.

If you don’t deserve to play, you won’t play.

I had no desire to coach college until I went to college. Then I said, ‘Maybe I can do this.’ You get inspired by the people around you who move you and light a fire under you.

I gotta be able to sleep at night knowing that I’m being honest.

Obviously, I’m not chasing the NBA.

The opportunity to coach Kerry Kittles I wouldn’t give up for anything.

I was small, but I was also slow.

The problem with the NCAA – it’s slow-moving.

My wife runs the house. She raised our kids with me only partly there. It’s just what coaching is. A lot of times, you’re raising other people’s children, sometimes at the expense of your own. I hope that wasn’t the case with my children, but at times, it probably was.

I’ve always said I have more money than I can spend, than my children can spend.

Some of the best kids I coach were raised by a grandmother who was so firm that they understood.

When your best players are really good guys, it’s the best.

You’re coaching Kentucky – and you have a chance to change lives. That’s not what this is up there in the NBA. You have assets. You’re trying to piece a team together. You’re trying to win more games than the other guy. You’re trying to advance in the playoffs, and if you don’t, they’ll find somebody else that can.

I call it, ‘The Kentucky Effect.’ Guys from Kentucky are usually drafted higher, and their shoe contracts are worth more. They’re in more demand overall because they played here.

I read books by other coaches all the time.

The whole thing is develop players, develop them as people, develop teams.

There are certain people I do want to absolutely dislike me. And I want them to paint me as their enemy. Because I want nothing to do with them.

As long as I’m at Kentucky, you’ve got to be able to take the shots, or don’t stay at Kentucky. To be the coach at Kentucky and get what I get, you can’t be a 35-year-old coach whose never been fired. I’ve been fired.

I don’t even have a computer.

I’m just trying to be the best I can be. I try to surround myself with people who are strong in areas I’m weak. Which is why I have such a big staff.

When you’re coaching at Kentucky, you’re held to a different standard, and like in politics, there is a core group that absolutely loves you, and everyone else is trying to unseat you in any way they can – anything to trip you up; that’s what it is. If you’re not up to that, then don’t coach at Kentucky.

Malik Monk is special. Special.

People want to see how we get teams to come together so quickly. They want to see how we get young guys to play so hard and so unselfish. I’m fine with that. I have no problem sharing that.

My life, even as a college student, has all been through the NCAA, and I’m telling you there’s so much good that comes out of it.

The thing I can tell you about coaching is that we make decision and career moves when your nerves and emotions are still raw, right after the season. It’s the worst profession for that.

I don’t read the papers; I don’t listen to radio.

If you win the conference tournament, it doesn’t mean anything.

We’re not the only ones out there trying to get good players and trying to help kids.

If you can get a second-round pick that makes it, it’s unbelievable for that franchise, what you save and all the other things to build. You’re always looking for guys like that.

I’ve always taken the approach that it’s about the seed in the NCAA tournament.

I think I’m overrated as a recruiter.

They want it all – all As, all wins by 20, and want the highest GPA. Don’t coach at Kentucky if you can’t accept that.

If I have the choice between experience and talent, I’m taking talent every time.

The guy who started on third base and gets home and acts like he hit a homer – that guy doesn’t impress me.

If I walk in a home, and a young man disrespects his mother or grandfather, grandmother in front of me, I’m out. Because if that’s the case, he respects no one. He is not going to respect me.