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Motivation Quote by Joel Embiid

"I’m not satisfied. I want to keep getting better. I want to be great"

About this Quote

Restlessness is Embiid’s brand here, and it lands because it’s the opposite of the victory-lap athlete cliché. “I’m not satisfied” isn’t humblebrag modesty; it’s a public refusal to let comfort calcify into identity. He’s telling fans, teammates, and rivals that whatever version of him they think they’ve figured out is already outdated.

The repetition of “I want” matters. It’s not a slogan about destiny or “trusting the process” - it’s ownership. Embiid isn’t claiming greatness as a birthright; he’s framing it as a choice he has to keep re-making. That’s a subtle but pointed move in a league where narratives can trap players: you’re “injury-prone,” you “can’t win in the playoffs,” you’re “too soft,” you “doesn’t take it seriously.” By foregrounding dissatisfaction, he tries to seize the storyline before it seizes him.

Context does most of the work. Embiid’s career has been split between breathtaking dominance and the nagging question of whether his body, conditioning, or late-game execution will cooperate when it matters most. So “keep getting better” reads like an answer to the receipts: postseason flameouts, MVP debates, the constant scrutiny of effort and availability. Then he sharpens it: “I want to be great.” Not “good,” not “one of the best,” but an unembarrassed reach for legacy - the kind measured in June, not February.

Quote Details

TopicMotivational
SourcePostgame interview / media availability during early All-Star-level seasons (approx. 2018–2019; widely quoted in NBA postgame coverage)
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Embiid, Joel. (2026, January 30). I’m not satisfied. I want to keep getting better. I want to be great. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-not-satisfied-i-want-to-keep-getting-better-i-184794/

Chicago Style
Embiid, Joel. "I’m not satisfied. I want to keep getting better. I want to be great." FixQuotes. January 30, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-not-satisfied-i-want-to-keep-getting-better-i-184794/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I’m not satisfied. I want to keep getting better. I want to be great." FixQuotes, 30 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-not-satisfied-i-want-to-keep-getting-better-i-184794/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid (born March 16, 1994) is a Athlete from Cameroon.

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