Phil Knight Quotes & Sayings

“You can't explain much in 60 seconds, but when you show Michael Jordan, you don't have to. It's that simple.”

“There is an immutable conflict at work in life and in business, a constant battle between peace and chaos. Neither can be mastered, but both can be influenced. How you go about that is the key to success.”

“Sports is like rock 'n' roll. Both are dominant cultural forces, both speak an international language, and both are all about emotions.”

“At first, we couldn't be establishment, because we didn't have any money. We were guerrilla marketers, and we still are, a little bit. But, as we became No. 1 in our industry, we've had to modify our culture and become a bit more planned.”

“The trouble in America is not that we are making too many mistakes, but that we are making too few.”

“We wanted Nike to be the world's best sports and fitness company. Once you say that, you have a focus. You don't end up making wing tips or sponsoring the next Rolling Stones world tour.”

“I still get real nervous when I go in front of more than two people.”

“I don't consider myself enigmatic, but I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my public persona.”

“I'm Phil Knight, and I don't believe in advertising.”

“Up until the time I was 14 years old, I was sure that I was going to be a big-league baseball player. But that dream came to a rude awakening when I got cut from my high school baseball team.”