"Everything I know now, the pitfalls, the highs and lows, everything, it taught me and made stronger.” —Ray Allen

"You have to fall in love with the process of becoming great." —Blake Griffin

The impossible becomes easy with practice.

I practice very difficult and seemingly "impossible" shots in basketball and can often make them in games. People are sometimes amazed and sometimes reduce it to luck, both of which are compliments. But it's not amazing or lucky. It's  just practice. If they practiced the same shots they would be good at them as well. But either they don't think they can make the shots or perhaps are afraid to look stupid in failing along the way doing something different. I did get laughed at early on when these unorthodox shots were way off as I first practiced them, but eventually people just end up being impressed in the end.

But it's something anyone can do and it's easy after repetition.
The "impossible" becomes easy with practice.

Train to the point where it's not a competition of will, but an exhibition of skill.

The Tao of Bruce Lee and Larry Bird in basketball

Be formless, and shapeless, like water. Having no form allows you to be all forms. This philosophy characterizes Larry Bird's ability to score regardless of what position he needed to adapt to in order to get off a shot. He practiced scoring from all angles and forms, so he was able to flow into all forms and succeed.

"Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for the stars." —Willis Reed

"Be a dreamer. If you don't know how to dream, you're dead." —Jim Valvano

"If you're not making mistakes then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes." —John Wooden

"If you're not making mistakes then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes." —John Wooden

"Failure is good. It's fertilizer. Everything I've learned about coaching, I've learned from making mistakes." —Rick Patino

"Failure is good. It's fertilizer. Everything I've learned about coaching, I've learned from making mistakes." —Rick Patino

"There's no such thing as coulda, shoulda and woulda. If you shoulda and could, you woulda done it." —Pat Riley

"There's no such thing as coulda, shoulda and woulda. If you shoulda and could, you woulda done it." —Pat Riley

"Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don't rush. Be quick, but don't hurry." —Earl "The Pearl" Monroe

"Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don't rush. Be quick, but don't hurry." —Earl "The Pearl" Monroe

"I try to do the right things at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing." —Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"I try to do the right things at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing." —Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" —John Wooden

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" —John Wooden

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." —John Wooden

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." —John Wooden

"The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block ever every shot." —Bill Russell

"The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block ever every shot." —Bill Russell

"There is no 'I' in team but there is in win." —Michael Jordan

"There is no 'I' in team but there is in win." —Michael Jordan

"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."—John Wooden

"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."—John Wooden

"You shouldn't just work on your jump shot. You should work on being a better person, a better teammate and a better friend." —Sue Wicks

"You shouldn't just work on your jump shot. You should work on being a better person, a better teammate and a better friend." —Sue Wicks

"Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the 'me' for the 'we'." —Phil Jackson

"Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the 'me' for the 'we'." —Phil Jackson

"A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills and uses these skills to accomplish his goals." —Larry Bird

"A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills and uses these skills to accomplish his goals." —Larry Bird