Top 75 Dwane Casey Quotes

Fifty-four years ago, I was an 8-year-old boy living in rural Kentucky when the schools were desegregated. I walked into a white school where I was not wanted nor welcomed.

Sid Lowe is someone I respect in the league. Knows the game, knows how to teach, great teacher.

In Minnesota, we were caught between rebuilding or trying to continue to build around Kevin Garnett. I got caught right in the middle of that. KG was at an age where he was a good player, but he couldn’t carry a team anymore. I think my inexperience as far as being a head coach hurt me there.

I hope I can stand up and be an example that helps change the narrative: ‘He understands the game from a technical standpoint. He can teach the game. He can change an offense. He can put in a zone. He can do more than recruit.’

My grandfather Urey was my hero. He worked three jobs. He had a dry cleaner’s factory job in the day and a dry cleaner’s factory job at night and when that was done with that, he mopped floors in a restaurant.

When I first became a head coach, even back in Minnesota, I’m going to go with the known and leave the unknown alone.

I understand the outrage because it seems the list continues to grow: Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd. The injustices continue to mount and nothing seems to be changing.

Fred VanVleet’s story – here’s a kid who’s not very fast, not very tall, undrafted, had every excuse to not make it big and here he is and he’s gonna be one of the top free agents.

I have confidence in my manhood to be able to cry at a movie or at a wedding, too.

My grandparents taught me about hard work, about fear of failure.

I talk to a lot of European coaches. I got friends over there that I steal stuff from, talk to, maybe have them look at what we’re doing and say, ‘Hey, what would you do differently?’

I talk to a lot of European coaches. I got friends over there that I steal stuff from, talk to, maybe have them look at what we’re doing and say, ‘Hey, what would you do differently?’

I go to bat with people that are loyal to me.

We don’t want to keep talking about ‘potential.’ That word is the most dangerous word in professional sports.

I love watching players improve – even as a Little League coach.

Help me help you help yourself is kind of the motto I have.

To me, 60 isn’t old. It’s a blessing to have my health. I still feel like I’m in my 30s or 40s.

When it comes to playoff time, the game slows down, the offense slows down and you’ve got to be able to get stops.

I’m not a big car person. I’m not into lots of fancy things.

I was making $19,000 a year, and I thought I was rich.

That’s the problem with our industry: patience. People want instant NBA stars, and that’s not going to happen.

I’m a firm believer in young, old, tall, short, doesn’t matter. Basketball is basketball. It’s the way you approach it.

I go to bat with people that are loyal to me.

In Minnesota, we were caught between rebuilding or trying to continue to build around Kevin Garnett. I got caught right in the middle of that. KG was at an age where he was a good player, but he couldn’t carry a team anymore. I think my inexperience as far as being a head coach hurt me there.

I have confidence in my manhood to be able to cry at a movie or at a wedding, too.

I’m not a big car person. I’m not into lots of fancy things.

It wasn’t until I went to college that I started getting interested in style. Then I got jobs that started to pay a bit more money and was able to afford some nice slacks and suits.

My grandparents taught me about hard work, about fear of failure.

You can’t have mental breakdowns defensively because teams like Golden State and Cleveland will make you pay dearly.

You can’t allow yourself to get typecast as a recruiter, because that label sticks and carries. I fought it. I made myself learn the game and teach the game.

My wife was big in a lot of work in Toronto with charity work.

To me, there’s no honor to say, ‘I’m going to start.’ As long as you’re getting minutes, you’re closing games, that shows more of the value to the team than to say you’re a starter.

Watching a guy go from not having ever played an NBA game before to growing up and developing into an All-Star player, that’s probably the most rewarding thing that you can do as a coach.

To go from the middle to the top is one of the most difficult things you can do in sports.

You can’t surprise LeBron any more. He’s such a smart player. His intellect has caught up with his athletic ability.

I’m ready to roll 24/7.

I’ve seen Canada grow on so many different levels when it comes to basketball. The women’s game is huge, so why not have a WNBA team here?

The consistency of the game calls, I’ve been on both sides of it. I’ve been where the whistle has been in favor of you.

Sean Sweeney is a defensive guy that did a great job with Milwaukee.

A team like Brooklyn has seen everything, they’ve experienced everything, they’ve had every atmosphere you can have in the playoffs and some of them have won championships. That’s the advantage you have as an experienced team and the disadvantage you have as a young team.

All winners are edgy. Guys that are pushing themselves are edgy. It’s the old saying we have in Kentucky: I’d rather have a guy I have to say whoa to, than giddyup.

I’ve seen Canada grow on so many different levels when it comes to basketball. The women’s game is huge, so why not have a WNBA team here?

The NBA made a big move to become more stylish and business-oriented a few years back, and it’s made a big change.

KeyArena was rocking, loud. The Finals in ’96, I thought that was loud.

We don’t want to keep talking about ‘potential.’ That word is the most dangerous word in professional sports.

When I first became a head coach in Toronto, I was more of a dictator, wanted to do everything, all the development, defense, offense, whatever it was.

Freedom of movement, which is a great rule, doesn’t mean freedom to go to the rim for a layup or freedom to take any shot you want to take or me going in there and not playing through contact.

I can hold my head high for what we built in Toronto.

Black, white and brown people have to work together to find new answers. The only way we can stop the systemic problems that people of color have faced all our lives is through honesty and transparency.

I remember going with my grandmother to the houses she cleaned when I was little, and I would have to stay down in the basement while she cleaned, and then we walked back home together.

It’s a different animal when you’re in the NBA. You come in this league and you’ve got 7-footers who play 7 foot who are going to protect that rim come hell or high water.

Players want to get better with their skill set and 3-point shooting, ballhandling, their bodies, whatever it is, but everything starts with a sense of urgency.

Watching a guy go from not having ever played an NBA game before to growing up and developing into an All-Star player, that’s probably the most rewarding thing that you can do as a coach.

There’s no disrespect in playing in the G League.

We were poor and lived modestly, but we always had food on the table.

It irks me when I read the narrative that ‘Dwane is salty.’ I can’t say anything right.

I was making $19,000 a year, and I thought I was rich.

From a pure basketball standpoint, it’s hard to say you wouldn’t want Kawhi Leonard on your team.

I’m not a very materialistic person.

There’s nothing that can teach you about the playoffs besides going through it.

In my mind, LeBron James is the best player in the league.

I’m a firm believer in young, old, tall, short, doesn’t matter. Basketball is basketball. It’s the way you approach it.

The unwritten rule in college basketball is the black assistant goes and gets the black players. Don’t worry about the X’s and O’s. Just recruit.

When I first became a head coach in Toronto, I was more of a dictator, wanted to do everything, all the development, defense, offense, whatever it was.

Players want to get better with their skill set and 3-point shooting, ballhandling, their bodies, whatever it is, but everything starts with a sense of urgency.

To me, 60 isn’t old. It’s a blessing to have my health. I still feel like I’m in my 30s or 40s.

All winners are edgy. Guys that are pushing themselves are edgy. It’s the old saying we have in Kentucky: I’d rather have a guy I have to say whoa to, than giddyup.

The only way young players learn how to get better is by playing or get the experience is by playing and getting out there and doing it.

Outside the Raptors’ organization, I definitely think guys like LeBron James, James Harden and Derrick Rose will show off some great looks. On our team, Kyle Lowry has amazing style. But we have a lot of fashionable guys: Patrick Patterson, Bismack Biyombo and Jonas Valanciunas are all really into fashion as well.

Sid Lowe is someone I respect in the league. Knows the game, knows how to teach, great teacher.

In fact I only had one sports jacket when I was in high school. It was all sneakers and tees.

I have a favorite poem. From Rudyard Kipling. It’s called ‘L’Envoi.’