Whether you like them or not, most famous athletes in the world today are often treated like royalty. They’re recognized everywhere they go, they’re on every billboard, ad, and/or commercial you see, and they have millions upon millions of followers on social media – they’re basically half-athlete, half-celebrity. 

While this is nothing new in sports – famous athletes have always garnered a lot of media attention – it appears to be happening at an all-time rate with the sudden rise of social media, which allows famous athletes to display their unique personality and interact with their fanbase on a much more personal level. 

As a result, famous athletes today are given a much bigger platform than ever before and a majority of them use their platform to grow their personal brand – increasing their exposure and, ultimately, growing their fanbase. The more popular they get, the more they get treated like a celebrity – not just an athlete.

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Famous Athletes Who Are Larger Than Life (and Sports)

Every year, fans get to witness thousands of professional athletes display their talent for the world to see, but only a select few of them will reach celebrity status. Some athletes can credit their performance in sport for their rise to fame, while others credit their unique persona – of course, some athletes credit both.

Either way, the most famous athletes in the world have an opportunity to cash in on their popularity and fame in ways that other athletes can’t. While there’s a lot of money in sports and athletes can make a fortune (if they’re good enough), famous athletes today make most of their money outside of sports. 

With that said, it’s no secret that some athletes are more famous than others. Think about it this way – you could ask 100 people to list some of the most famous athletes in the world and, chances are, you would receive a lot of the same answers. Let’s break down some of those names that may come to mind.

25. Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is a quarterback for the New York Jets and is widely regarded as one of the greatest QBs to ever play the game. He has thrown for 59,055 yards, 475 touchdowns, and just 105 interceptions over his 18-year career. He’s a 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro, four-time MVP, one-time Super Bowl champion, and one-time Super Bowl MVP. He has a way of maintaining relevance, but does it rather quietly.

24. Serena Williams

Serena Williams is an American tennis player who turned professional in October 1995 and recently retired in September 2022. She has a career 858-156 singles record with 73 singles titles and 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and a career 192-35 doubles record with 23 doubles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles. She’s easily one of the most influential, legendary, and iconic female athletes of all-time. 

23. Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for the San Diego Wave of the NWSL and the United States women’s national team. She has scored 115 goals for the US national team, which currently ranks No. 5 all-time, and has won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 – she also helped lead the US to two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles. She’s one of the most popular female soccer players today.

22. Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham Jr. is a wide receiver who currently plays for the Baltimore Ravens. He rose to fame as a member of the New York Giants between 2014 and 2018, recording 390 catches for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns during that time. He has dealt with various injuries over the past three seasons, but is making a comeback in 2023. With his larger-than-life persona and luxury lifestyle, he garners a lot of attention.

21. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily like being the center of attention and does his best to limit the amount of media surrounding him on a daily basis, but don’t let that fool you – he’s an international superstar who can’t go anywhere without being noticed. Between his stellar play on the court, his endorsements on and off the court, and various business ventures away from sports, Durant knows how to stay relevant. 

20. Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland has emerged as one of the most popular and talented soccer players over the past couple of years. At 22 years old, many are pegging him as the next best thing in soccer – having already taken the sport by storm. As a result of his excellence on the field, Haaland is finally starting to receive the sponsorships and endorsements that come with fame – and you’ll only see more of him in the future. 

19. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most beloved basketball players of this generation – it’s hard to hate on him, even if you’re not a fan of his. He’s humble and has a personality that many can relate to, but has also earned his right as one of the greatest players of his generation. He’s always making jokes, always has a smile on his face, believes in the power of positivity, and hasn’t let fame change him one bit. 

18. Patrick Mahomes

You can’t talk about the NFL – or football, in general – without mentioning what Patrick Mahomes has done since entering the league. He has emerged as the face of the NFL and is already being compared to some of the greats – such as Tom Brady. Along with his wife, Brittany Mahomes, the couple make headlines anytime they step out of the house and can’t go anywhere without a sea of cameras following them. 

17. Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is an international superstar and one of the PGA Tour’s greatest ambassadors. His impact goes far beyond the golf community and is a household name – even in households that have no interest in golf. He has 36 professional wins under his belt since 2007 and has won four majors thus far – the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, the U.S. Open in 2011, and The Open Championship in 2014. 

16. Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic rose to stardom as a teenager playing for Real Madrid in the EuroLeague, but his success overseas was overlooked by Americans – that is, until he was drafted into the NBA. At that point, he became an international superstar and is now one of the league’s greatest players. At just 24 years old, he still has another 10+ years in the league and will continue adding to his legacy in the years to come.

15. Neymar Jr.

Neymar Jr. is a Brazilian soccer player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. He has scored at least 100 goals with three different clubs – something that has only been done by three other players in the history of the game – and has scored 77 goals for the Brazilian national team. He has a whopping 208 million followers on Instagram and another 62 million followers on Twitter. 

14. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor was, at one point in his career, THE money fight in the UFC – the five highest-selling Pay-Per-View fights in UFC history were McGregor fights. He was also the first UFC fighter to ever hold a title in two weight classes at the same time. While he hasn’t had much success in the octagon over the past few years, he remains relevant with his luxurious lifestyle, erratic behavior, and unique personality.

13. Aaron Judge

Being one of the greatest New York Yankees’ players of this generation comes with a lot of media attention – and not just from the NYC area. Aaron Judge is that guy right now, especially after signing a nine-year, $360 million contract this past offseason – not long after setting an AL record for most home runs in a single season with 62 homers in 2022. He’s the current King of New York and they treat him like it.

12. Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby has a lot of haters, but that’s what happens when you’re one of the greatest hockey players of all-time. With that said, he’s hard not to like because he doesn’t involve himself in drama, he’s an overall good guy, and is dedicated to his family and community. The 35-year-old is still producing at a high rate on the ice, but his success has never changed him and there’s a lot of people who respect that.

11. Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is an international icon and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most dominant athletes of all-time. What he has done in Formula 1 is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before – winning seven World Drivers’ Championship titles (tied for the record) and holding numerous other records in the sport. He’s also dedicated to activism and philanthropy, which makes it very hard not to respect him. 

10. Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka is a Japanese tennis player who rose to stardom after joining the WTA Tour in 2013 at just 15 years old. Since then, she has accumulated a 265-148 singles record, seven singles titles, and four major championships – including the US Open twice and the Australian Open twice. She’s known for her down-to-earth personality and has used her platform to raise awareness for a variety of social issues. 

9. Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is one of the most well-known and most-talked about athletes today. He was already an international sensation for his stellar play in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) before joining the MLB in 2018. He’s widely known as one of the greatest two-way players in MLB history, turning heads with both his batting and pitching. He has since won Rookie of the Year, MVP, and a Silver Slugger award.

8. Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry rose to fame during the 2008 March Madness tournament, when he led Davidson to their first win since 1969 and took them all the way to the Elite 8. He became even more famous as he entered the NBA in 2009, leading them to four NBA titles over the past eight seasons. He has an impressive investment portfolio, owns a production company, and is dedicated to philanthropy and volunteering.

7. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen of all-time. He currently plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore of the Indian Premier League and also plays for Delhi in the Indian domestic league. He has helped his country win the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He has quite the following online, including 249 million followers on Instagram and 56 million on Twitter. 

6. Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is the greatest and most dominant golfer of all-time. Injuries have plagued his career in recent years, but that won’t damage the legacy he left in the golf community. He has 82 wins on the PGA Tour and 15 major championship wins in his career, and was the No. 1 player in the world for a record 683 weeks. No one will ever be able to duplicate the type of career he had – he’s a one-of-a-kind legend. 

5. Canelo Alvarez

Canelo Alvarez is a Mexican professional boxer who has been the unquestioned ‘King of Boxing’ over the past few years. He’s the current undisputed champion at super middleweight, but he also has multiple titles in three other weight classes. He has a 59-2-2 record and has proven to be unstoppable on most nights. He’s the most prized money fight in boxing right now and has the entire world watching his every move. 

4. Tom Brady

Tom Brady is one of the greatest football players and certainly the greatest quarterback of all-time. He threw for 89,214 yards, 649 touchdowns, and just 212 interceptions over his 23-year career, winning seven Super Bowl titles in the process – more than any franchise in the league. He’s the ultimate celebrity and receives a whirlwind of attention every single time he moves a muscle – when he moves, cameras follow. 

3. LeBron James

LeBron James has had one of, if not the greatest careers the NBA has ever seen. His ability to remain in peak form throughout his 30s is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before – he looks just as good now as he did 10 years ago and even 20 years ago. He has had a much bigger impact on his community than any other athlete we’ve ever seen – when he speaks, everyone puts down what they’re doing to listen. 

2. Lionel Messi 

Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all-time and continues to defy father time as he continues to score at a rapid rate at 35 years old. He’s a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, a six-time European Golden Shoe winner, and most recently helped lead his country to a gold medal at the 2022 World Cup. He has 462 million followers on Instagram, which is second-most on the platform. 

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo, like Messi, is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all-time – the two are certainly the greatest players of their generation. He has won five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Shoes, as well as 32 trophies throughout his career. He’s the most-followed person on Instagram with 583 million followers and is someone who can’t go somewhere without being recognized.

Famous Athletes With the Most Social Media Followers

Social media plays an important role in any athlete’s career – more-so now than ever before. Not only can it be a money-maker when used properly, but it gives famous athletes an opportunity to show fans a side of them they don’t normally get to see and allows athletes to further connect with their growing fanbase. 

That’s why it should come as no surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo (583 million followers) and Lionel Messi (462 million followers) are the two most-followed people on Instagram – not just among athletes, but everyone. For reference, Selena Gomez is the most-followed non-athlete at 416 million followers.

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Other athletes with enormous social media followings include Virat Kohli, LeBron James, Neymar Jr., Kylian Mbappe, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kylian Mbappe, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Shohei Ohtani. These athletes are considered to be some of the most famous athletes in the world today.

Best Quotes By the World’s Most Famous Athletes

The most famous athletes in the world have a way of inspiring us to do better, be better, and dream bigger. While a majority of that inspiration stems from their performance on the court, field, ring, diamond, or rink, some athletes take it a step further and inspire us with their words, thoughts, ideas, and opinions.

We don’t think about it often, but quotes play a major role in helping us relate with, inspire, and motivate one another. It’s like they always say – quotes are short enough to be remembered, but smart enough to be memorable. And when we find a quote that we like or relate to, we hold onto it for the rest of our lives.

When we need a little source of inspiration or motivation – not just in sports, but in life, in general – quotes from famous athletes provide a spark that lifts us up and gives us the wherewithal to continue pushing forward. They help put things into perspective and remind us that we’re not alone in our lifelong journey.

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Popular Quotes From the World’s Most Famous Athletes

Famous athletes have always been known to drop eye-opening quotes and it often comes from the quietest, most humble ones. Whether it comes in a press conference, exclusive interview, social media, speech, or commencement address – famous athletes surprise us from time to time with their words. 

From LeBron James to Muhammad Ali and Billie Jean King, people tend to stop what they’re doing and listen when the world’s most famous athletes speak. And with the rise of social media over the past two decades, people can follow their favorite athletes and stay updated with everything they do or say. 

Since we can all use that little jolt of inspiration or motivation on a daily basis, we’ve decided to put together a list of 100 popular quotes from some of the world’s most famous athletes. Some of the quotes have to do with sports, while others have to do with life – either way, they’re quotes we can all relate to.

Steffi Graf

1. “You can’t measure success if you have never failed.” – Steffi Graf

2. “There is no relief at it being over. There is the joy of winning it.” – Steffi Graf

3. “I never hanker after the past – I prefer to devote myself to new tasks.” – Steffi Graf

4. “If you really do want to reach your goals, you can’t spend any time worrying about whether you’re going to win or lose. Focus only on getting better.” – Steffi Graf

Pele

5. “If you are first you are first. If you are second, you are nothing.” – Pele

6. “Success isn’t determined by how many times you win, but by how you play the week after you lose.” – Pele

7. “Great teams are not made up of many well-rounded players. Great teams are made up of a variety of players, each having their own strengths.” – Pele

8. “Great teams are not made up of many well-rounded players. Great teams are made up of a variety of players, each having their own strengths.” – Pele

Ken Griffey Jr.  

9. “My name is not ‘The Best Player in Baseball.’ My name is George Kenneth Griffey, Jr.” – Ken Griffey Jr.

10. “You lose, you smile, and you come back the next day. You win, you smile, you come back the next day.” – Ken Griffey Jr.

11. “Why should I stretch? Does a cheetah stretch before it chases its prey?” – Ken Griffey Jr.

12. “To succeed in baseball, as in life, you must make adjustments.” – Ken Griffey Jr.

Shaquille O’Neal

13. “Everything happens for a reason. I’m used to it, I prepare for it. Like I say, at the end of the day, those in charge of their own destiny are going to do what’s right for them and their family.” – Shaquille O’Neal

14. “Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God’s way of saying nobody’s perfect.” – Shaquille O’Neal

15. “Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. you are what you repeatedly do.” – Shaquille O’Neal

16. “The day I stopped worrying about stats is the day I started winning.” – Shaquille O’Neal

Abby Wambach

17. ““Failure is not something to be ashamed of—nor is it proof of unworthiness. Failure is something to be powered by. When we live afraid to fail, we don’t take risks. We don’t bring our entire selves to the table—so we end up failing before we even begin. Let’s stop worrying: What if I fail? Instead, let’s promise ourselves: When I fail, I’ll stick around.” – Abby Wambach

18. “Leadership is taking care of yourself and empowering others to do the same. Leadership is not a position to earn, it’s an inherent power to claim. Leadership is the blood that runs through your veins—it’s born in you. It’s not the privilege of a few, it is the right and responsibility of all. Leader is not a title that the world gives to you—it’s an offering that you give to the world.” – Abby Wambach

19. “Strength is a full gamut. You’ve got to be strong from top to bottom, but you also have to raise your hand and say, “I’m feeling weak right now. I need some help.” There is true strength in being able to ask for help.” – Abby Wambach

20. “You will not always be the goal scorer. When you are not, you better be rushing toward her.” – Abby Wambach

Simone Biles

21. “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps … I’m the first Simone Biles.” – Simone Biles

22. “If you’re having fun, that’s when the best memories are built.” – Simone Biles

23. “A successful competition for me is always going out there and putting 100 percent into whatever I’m doing.” – Simone Biles

24. “I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” – Simone Biles

Lewis Hamilton

25. “I don’t aspire to be like other drivers, I aspire to be unique in my own way.” – Lewis Hamilton

26. “A shark? No, I like to think I’m more like a panther. A shark attacks from behind without you knowing. With a panther, you know it’s coming but he still gets you.” – Lewis Hamilton

27. “You just need to be accepted for who you are and be proud of who you are and that is what I’m trying to do.” – Lewis Hamilton

28. “Winning is definitely the ultimate goal, the lessons learned when I don’t win only strengthen me.” – Lewis Hamilton

Pat Riley

29. “If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.” – Pat Riley

30. “Shoulda, coulda, and woulda won’t get it done. In attacking adversity, only a positive attitude, alertness, and regrouping to basics can launch a comeback.” – Pat Riley

31. “All of us have at least one great voice deep inside. People are products of their environment. A lucky few are born into situations in which positive messages abound. Others grow up hearing messages of fear and failure, which they must block out so the positive can be heard. But the positive and courageous voice will always emerge, somewhere, sometime, for all of us. Listen for it, and your breakthroughs will come.” – Pat Riley

32. “There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.” – Pat Riley

Evander Holyfield 

33. “A champion shows who he is by what he does when he’s tested. When a person gets up and says ‘I can still do it’, he’s a champion.” – Evander Holyfield

34. “Pressure bursts pipes. I thank God for giving me peace of mind to overcome pressure. The difference between winning and losing is when pressure hits.” – Evander Holyfield

35. “The most important thing about being a father is being able to forgive yourself. If you don’t forgive yourself, you’re not going to forgive your kids, either.” – Evander Holyfield

36. “It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.” – Evander Holyfield

Derek Jeter

37. “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do – and I believe that.” – Derek Jeter

38. “Surround yourself with good people. People who are going to be honest with you and look out for your best interests.” – Derek Jeter

39. “So many people are insanely busy nowadays, and it’s easy to say, ‘Ah, I’ll workout tomorrow.’ But you have to set aside a time and stick to that schedule.” – Derek Jeter

40. “Obviously, you’re known for what you do. But you still want to be known as a good person. You’re a person a lot longer before and after you’re a professional athlete.” – Derek Jeter

Muhammad Ali

41. “Impossible is just a word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” – Muhammad Ali

42. “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

43. “It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you down. It’s the pebble in your shoe.” – Muhammad Ali

44. “I don’t count the sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count. That’s what makes you a champion.” – Muhammad Ali

Kobe Bryant

45. “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.” – Kobe Bryant

46. “I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I’m like, ‘My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don’t have it. I just want to chill.’ We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.” – Kobe Bryant

47. “My brain . . . it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I sit there and have to face myself and tell myself, ‘You’re a failure’ . . . I think that’s almost worse than death.”  – Kobe Bryant

48. “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” – Kobe Bryant

Peyton Manning

49. “Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.” – Peyton Manning

50. “The most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable.” – Peyton Manning

51. “If nothing else in life, I want to be true to the things I believe in, and quite simply, to what I’m all about. I know I’d better because it seems whenever I take a false step or two I feel the consequences.” – Peyton Manning

52. “It’s not wanting to win that makes you a winner; it’s refusing to fail.” – Peyton Manning

Jerry Rice

53. “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” – Jerry Rice

54. “The Enemy of the best is the good. If you’re always settling with what’s good, you’ll never be the best.” – Jerry Rice

55. “You know, I never looked down the road and said, ‘Hey look, one day, the Hall of Fame.’ It’s always about playing each and every game 100 percent and I thank my teammates for getting me into the Hall because football is a team sport, not an individual sport.” – Jerry Rice

56. “I think my secret is that there’s no shortcuts for hard work, determination, and having that don’t give up attitude.” – Jerry Rice

Usain Bolt

57. “Kill them with success and bury them with a smile.” – Usain Bolt

58. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in determination.” – Usain Bolt

59. “No matter how far you get ahead of me, I’m gonna catch you. That’s my mentality that I go therewith.” – Usain Bolt

60. “Dreams are free. Goals have a cost. While you can daydream for free, goals don’t come without a price. Time, Effort, Sacrifice, and Sweat. How will you pay for your goals?” – Usain Bolt

Jack Nicklaus

61. “I’m a firm believer in the theory that people only do their best at things they truly enjoy.It is difficult to excel at something you don’t enjoy.” – Jack Nicklaus

62. “Success depends almost entirely on how effectively you learn to manage the game’s two ultimate adversaries: the course and yourself.” – Jack Nicklaus

63. “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.” – Jack Nicklaus

64. “Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s level of aspiration and expectation.” – Jack Nicklaus

Tom Brady

65. “You have to believe in your process. You have to believe in the things that you are doing to help the team win. I think you have to take the good with the bad.” – Tom Brady

66. “I can’t do anything with what’s happened in the past. I have to just go forward with the most awareness I can going forward and trying to be the best I can be for our team.” – Tom Brady

67. “Too often in life, something happens and we blame other people for us not being happy or satisfied or fulfilled.” – Tom Brady

68. “I thought I would never get a chance to play, until one time I did, because I was prepared and the opportunity presented itself.” – Tom Brady

John Wooden

69. “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” – John Wooden

70. “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” – John Wooden

71. “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” – John Wooden

72. “If there’s anything you could point out where I was a little different, it was the fact that I never mentioned winning.” – John Wooden

Wayne Gretzky

73. “The day I stop giving is the day I stop receiving. The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

74. “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” – Wayne Gretzky

75. “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” – Wayne Gretzky

76. “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” – Wayne Gretzky

Tiger Woods

77. “Talent is something you are born with, and a skill is something you develop. 99% of what you need to succeed in golf are skills.” – Tiger Woods

78. “If you’re not nervous, it means you don’t care. I’ve always said that the day I’m not nervous playing is the day that I quit.” – Tiger Woods

79. “The greatest thing about tomorrow is, I will be better than I am today. And that’s how I look at my life. I will be a better golfer, I will be a better person, I will be a better father, I will be a better husband, I will be a better friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow.” – Tiger Woods

80. “There’s no sense in going to a tournament if you don’t believe that you can win it. And that is the belief I have always had. And that is not going to change.” – Tiger Woods

Serena Williams

81. “I don’t like to lose — at anything — Yet I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks. If winning is God’s reward, then losing is how he teaches us.” – Serena Williams

82. “With a defeat, when you lose, you get up, you make it better, you try again. That’s what I do in life, when I get down, when I get sick, I don’t want to just stop. I keep going and I try to do more. Everyone always says never give up but you really have to take that to heart and really do never definitely give up. Keep trying.” – Serena Williams

83. “Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.” – Serena Williams

84. “Growing up I wasn’t the richest, but I had a rich family in spirit. Standing here with 19 championships is something I never thought would happen. I went on a court just with a ball and a racket and with a hope.” – Serena Williams

Billie Jean King

85. “It’s just really important that we start celebrating our differences. Let’s start tolerating first, but then we need to celebrate our differences.” – Billie Jean King

86. “Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great.” – Billie Jean King

87. “The most important words that have helped me in life, when things have gone right or when things have gone wrong, are ‘accept responsibility.’” – Billie Jean King

88. “Pressure is a privilege — it only comes to those who earn it.” – Billie Jean King

Michael Phelps

89. “I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.” – Michael Phelps

90. “I want to be able to look back and say, ‘I’ve done everything I can, and I was successful.’ I don’t want to look back and say I should have done this or that.” – Michael Phelps

91. “Things won’t go perfect. It’s all about how you adapt from those things and learn from mistakes.” – Michael Phelps

92. “So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can’t be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach.” – Michael Phelps

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

93. “What’s the key to success? The key is, there is no key. Be humble, hungry, and the hardest worker in any room.” – Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

94. “Success isn’t overnight. It’s when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up.” – Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

95. “Success isn’t always about ‘greatness’, it’s about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success.” – Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

96. “Success at anything will always come down to this: focus and effort. And we control both.” – Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

LeBron James

97. “I always say, decisions I make, I live with them. There’s always ways you can correct them or ways you can do them better. At the end of the day, I live with them.” – LeBron James

98. “All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you’re not good enough or strong enough or talented enough. They will say you’re the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. They will tell you no. A thousand times no. until all the no’s become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no. Quite firmly and very quickly. And you will tell them yes.” – LeBron James

99. “I don’t need too much. Glamour and all that stuff don’t excite me. I’m just glad I have the game of basketball in my life.” – LeBron James

100. “Ask me to play, I’ll play, ask me to shoot, I’ll shoot. Ask me to pass, I’ll pass, Ask me to steal, block out, sacrifice, lead, dominate, anything. But it’s not just what you ask of me. It’s what I ask of myself.” – LeBron James

Famous Athletes Are Always Putting Things Into Perspective

Sports have the power to inspire us to be better, to push ourselves to new/higher limits, and to achieve greatness in all that we do. Famous athletes have not only achieved incredible success in their respective sports, but have also shared words of wisdom that motivate us all to be the best versions of ourselves.

The quotes above act as simple reminders that hard work, determination, perseverance, and teamwork can help us achieve great things in life. Their words inspire us to strive for greatness, overcome adversity, and be leaders in our own lives – remember, with a little hard work and dedication, anything is possible.

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The next time you see famous athletes get in front of a mic, write a new op-ed, or take to their social media page, take a moment to listen – you never know when they might say something that lights that fire within you. And when you receive that source of inspiration, don’t forget to reciprocate it to those around you!