Christian Laettner Quotes

I think sportsmanship is knowing that it is a game, that we are only as a good as our opponents, and whether you win or lose, to always give 100 percent.

You learn how to be a gracious winner and an outstanding loser.

I always say it's much nicer to win by shaking a man's hand rather than slapping him in the face.

We will respect all our opponents, as we always do.

It's never over until we're shaking hands at the net. Then you've either won or you've lost, and - either way - you look them in the eye and say, 'Well played, mate.'

Sometimes people say that coach is a winner, but everyone wants to win. You must know how to behave in victory and in defeat, to look after what is our sport, football.

The teams who play against us don't give us any gifts, but we were too kind.

The only way to prove that you're a good sport is to lose.

Show me a good loser and I'll show you an idiot.

But in the end it's still a game of golf, and if at the end of the day you can't shake hands with your opponents and still be friends, then you've missed the point.

We have to respect the opponents.

When you go out on to that field it's going to be war. Sportsmanship is playing to the best of your abilities and then, afterwards, shaking your opponent's hand.

Sportsmanship is definitely an important thing in all sports. In soccer, we all respect each other on such a high level, between Sweden and Brazil and Japan or whatever team it is.

Of course we have respect for the rival.

There is no such thing as friends on the field.

I'll fight you, and I'll have respect at the end. If you win, I have respect; if I win, I expect respect, Ray Mercer, man, I don't want to mention this guy's name anymore. He gets no respect from me. He was not professional, and he showed poor sportsmanship.

We respect all our opponents.

In Germany, it is normal, when games end, you shake hands with your players.

Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser.

You have to be very careful when you let someone win.

We play fair and we play hard. If we win the game we win, if we lose the game, we lose.

Do not completely defeat your opponents. Leave your opponents some dignity with which to walk off the field. They have been elected by some people and you have no right to dismember them… When you do that, you lose all semblance of leadership.

I played against a lot of guys, a lot of good players, and I remember those guys. They're friends now. They weren't then. You wanted to beat them.

Winning isn't all that matters.

You have to respect your opponent.