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.

John Calipari

Categorized in : You Group Way Politics

It's not just about working hard, it's about working together. You have to care more about the team than you do about yourself

John Calipari

nba team basketball

A successful person never loses...they either win or learn!

John Calipari

persons successful winning

You've gotta learn to love the grind. Because life IS the grind.

John Calipari

grind life-is

If I walk in a home and a kid disrespects a woman, his mother or grandmother, then I am out... I wont recruit them

John Calipari

basketball mother kids

The biggest thing is you cannot be afraid to miss the game-winning shot. It's not that you want to make it; it's that you're not afraid to miss it. You're not afraid to make a play and it go wrong. You have to have amnesia. You're not afraid to make a play and it go wrong.

John Calipari

amnesia not-afraid missing

Nothing is given to you. You're going to have to work for it.

John Calipari

given

I need people who look at adversity as a challenge and failure as a learning opportunity.

John Calipari

adversity opportunity people

There's no other state, none, that's as connected to their basketball program as this one. Because those other states have other programs. Michigan has Michigan State, California has UCLA, North Carolina has Duke. It's Kentucky throughout this whole state, and that's what makes us unique.

John Calipari

kentucky basketball unique

It's not about how far you fall, but how high you rebound.

John Calipari

rebound fall

Practice gotta be harder than the games and it never is unless you want it to be as a player. The coach can't drive that

John Calipari

basketball player practice

You can be the seventh scorer or the first scorer, just be your best version.

John Calipari

be-your-best versions firsts

What type of teammates do you want to play with? Be that teammate yourself

John Calipari

nba basketball play

The only thing I pay attention to with free throws is what a guy does in the final four minutes of a game. If you can improve players' self-esteem and confidence, get them to relax, teach visualization and routine, they will shoot as well, or better, with the pressure on.

John Calipari

basketball self-esteem player

You better educate yourself. You don't stand in the front of the line unless you're up there because you know everything that's involved.

John Calipari

educate lines knows

If we're going to stay the gold standard, we're going to stay ahead of the curve, well, then, when people try to do the things we're doing, we're trying to do more. We're trying to do something different. We're coming at it a different way. That, for me, to be honest, is the fun part.

John Calipari

curves fun people

I'm playing the guys who are going to fight. If you're not into this, I'm going to someone else

John Calipari

nba fighting basketball

I'm a teacher, a motivator. That's what I do. And I'm a protector on top of that.

John Calipari

protector teacher

The best teams I've had had a little bit of swagger.

John Calipari

swagger team littles

You understand, you do not invent stuff on this team. Guys that invent stuff will not play for me. Make the easy play

John Calipari

nba team basketball

When you're trying to build or change a culture, what do you do? I always say to take players from state championship teams because they only know one thing -- winning.

John Calipari

team player winning