Kwame Alexander Quotes

Basketball Rule #10

A loss is inevitable,
like snow in winter.
True champions
learn
to dance
through
the storm.

Did y'all arrest Uncle Bob's turkey? It was just criminal what he did to that bird, wasn't it? You

You love me? Like summer loves short nights. Get a checkup, then. Only cure I need is you. I'm serious about this, Chuck. Only doctor I need is Dr. Crystal Bell. Now come here . . . And then there is silence, so I put the pillow over my head because when they stop talking, I know what that means. Uggghh!

Basketball Rule #1

In this game of life
your family is the court
and the ball is your heart.
No matter how good you are,
no matter how down you get,
always leave
your heart
on the court.

It's just hard to love someone who cancels the cable right before the Walking Dead marathon.

Never let anyone lower your goals. Others' expectations of you are determined by their limitations of life. The sky is your limit, sons. Always shoot for the sun and you will shine.

The poems
were cool.

The best ones were
like bombs,
and when all the right words

came together
it was like an explosion.

Basketball Rule #8

Sometimes
you have to
lean back
a little
and
fade away
to get
the best
shot.

You know, Chuck,

You're not always gonna swish.

You gonna miss some.
Heck, you gonna miss a lot.

That's the way the rel world works.
But you gotta grab the ball and

keep shooting. You understand?

I tell you what, though,
you'll make a lot more

than you miss if
you're not always going for

the flash
and flair.

tricks are for kids,

Basketball Rule #7

Rebounding
is the art
of anticipating,
of always being prepared
to grab it.
But you can't
drop the ball.

Sometimes it's the things that aren't said that kill you" -Josh

Books are fun, Nicholas, he says,
they're like
amusement parks
for readers.

Yeah, well, maybe
they would be fun
if I got to pick
the rides
sometimes, you answer

Basketball Rule #9

When the game is on
the line,
don't fear.
Grab the ball.
Take it
to the hoop.

...it's
just one miss, but
you're gonna have
a whole lotta makes
in this life, 'cause you're just
that good, and it's okay
to be down
and upset
as long as
you're not down
and out

don't rush though: your eyes need time to taste. your soul needs room to bloom.

We all have what it takes to do exactly what we want to do in life, no matter what anyone else says. If someone tells you, "You can't do this because you are [fill in the blank]," I say embrace the challenge. Wear it like a new pair of Converse or Jordans. Meet it head-on.

Identical twins
are no different
from everyone else,
except we look and
sometimes sound
exactly alike.

Basketball Rule #4

If you miss
enough of life's
free throws
you will pay
in the end.

Basketball Rule #6
A great team
has a good scorer
with a teammate
who's on point
and ready
to assist.

Basketball Rule #5
When
you stop
playing
your game
you've already
lost.

Basketball Rule #2 (random text from Dad)
Hustle dig
Grind push
Run fast
Change pivot
Chase pull
Aim shoot
Work smart
Live smarter
Play hard
Practice harder

Find your grit and put in the work to elevate your game. Champions train. Chumps complain.