Kobe Bryant Quotes

He worked day and night every day for years and years and years and years and years. As time went on, 20 years had passed and he felt that he had accomplished all that he set out to accomplish but what he come to realize is that the goal that he set out initially to become the greatest of all time was a very fickle one. When he realized that the most important thing in life is how your career moves and touches those around you and how it carries forward to the next generation, that he realized that’s what makes true greatness.” – Kobe Bryant

A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out. That’s totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

A lot of times things get blown out of proportion in a negative light, especially in the NBA, … But there are a lot of players in the NBA who really care about the community and want to use their basketball-playing ability for a good cause. – Kobe Bryant

After scoring 44 points on 34 shots in 31 minutes during a Lakers blowout loss: I’d rather not have to do that, but you can’t sit back and watch crime happen in front of you. – Kobe Bryant

All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I’ve done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I’m supposed to come back from this and be the same player or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that?? I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that was. Maybe this is how my book ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me…Then again maybe not! – Kobe Bryant

Are you willing to push the right buttons even if it means being perceived as the villain? … I’d rather be perceived as a winner than a good teammate. I wish they both went hand in hand all the time but that’s just not reality. … I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. – Kobe Bryant

As a kid, I would work tirelessly on adding elements to my game. I would see something I liked in person or on film, go practice it immediately, practice it more the next day, and then go out and use it. By the time I reached the league, I had a short learning curve. I could see something, download it, and have it down pat. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

As I sit here now, when I take off my shoe and I look down at my scar, I see beauty in it. I see all the hard work, all the sacrifices. I see the journey that it took to get back to this point of being healthy. And I see beauty in that struggle. That’s what makes it beautiful. – Kobe Bryant

At the end of 2003, my game was complete. Shooting, defense, using the dribble, transition, midrange stuff was all there. Then it was about fine-tuning and trying to improve in each area. – Kobe Bryant

Basketball is my refuge, my sanctuary. I go back to being a kid on the playground. When I get here, it’s all good. – Kobe Bryant

Be willing to sacrifice everything, but compromise nothing in your quest to be the best. – Kobe Bryant

Because I don’t want chumps, I don’t want pushovers, and if you’re a chump and a pushover, I will run over you. – Kobe Bryant

Better learn not to talk to me. If you shake the tree, a leopard’s gonna fall out. – Kobe Bryant

Boos don’t block dunks. – Kobe Bryant, Adande: L.A. Lakers look like a playoff team now

By eloquence I understand those appeals to our moral perceptions that produce emotion as soon as they are uttered. This is the very enthusiasm that is the parent of poetry. Let the same man go to his closet and clothe in numbers conceptions full of the same fire and spirit, and they will be poetry. – Kobe Bryant

Can I jump over two or three guys like I used to? No. Am I as fast as I used to be? No, but I still have the fundamentals and smarts. That’s what enables me to still be a dominant player. As a kid growing up, I never skipped steps. I always worked on fundamentals because I know athleticism is fleeting. – Kobe Bryant

Christmas morning, I’m going to open presents with my kids. I’m going to take pictures of them opening the presents. Then I’m going to come to the Staples Center and get ready to work. – Kobe Bryant

Dear Basketball, From the moment I started rolling my dad’s tube socks and shooting imaginary game-winning shots … I fell in love with you. – Kobe Bryant, Dear Basketball 

Dedication sees dreams come true. – Kobe Bryant

Despite fear, finish the job. – Kobe Bryant

Determination silences doubters. – Kobe Bryant

Dropkick Murphys get me going, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana… plus, all the regular hip-hop stuff. – Kobe Bryant

Each moment of my life I was dreaming of how great I could be, and continued working hard. Each time I closed my eyes I could see me shining bright like a sun. – Kobe Bryant

Eeew, I’d be a little uncomfortable Googling myself. People sit there – and Google themselves? That’s kind of weird. – Kobe Bryant

Either way, I refuse to change. A lion has to eat. Either run with me or run from me. – Kobe Bryant

Even when he was in Memphis and he was the go-to guy, he was always very nice, very white swan. I need him to be black swan. Be an asshole sometimes. – Kobe Bryant, Asktng Pau Gasol to Be ‘The Black Swan’

Everybody has a different journey. – Kobe Bryant

Everyone looks at your watch and it represents who you are, your values and your personal style. – Kobe Bryant

Everything has a purpose. And that purpose has a story that goes along with it. It just depends on what your passion is. – Kobe Bryant

Everything I saw, heard, read, or felt was viewed through the lens of growing as a basketball player. This perspective makes me curious about everything, makes everything interesting, and means that life is a living library where all I need to do is pay attention. – Kobe Bryant

For us as athletes, it’s very difficult when you retire. – Kobe Bryant, CNBC’s Squawk on the Street Today

Friends come and go but banners hang forever. – Kobe Bryant

Get over yourself! ‘Cause it’s not about you, man. Like, okay, you feel embarrassed. You are not that important! Get over yourself! Right, like you are worried about how people may perceive you, and like you are walking around and it’s embarrassing because you shot five air balls… Get over yourself. – Kobe Bean Bryant, interview with Patrick Bet-David, 23 August 2019

Good coaches, however, teach you how to think and arm you with the fundamental tools necessary to execute properly. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

He [Phil Jackson] is such a basketball genius in terms of the details of the game, the little nuances of the game and the rhythm of the game. – Kobe Bryant

He is a fool who only sees the mischiefs that are past. – Kobe Bryant

Heroes come and go, but legends are forever. – Kobe Bryant

Hi, I’m Kobe Bryant. And I have decided to take my talent to, uh… I have decided to skip college and take my talent to the NBA. – Kobe Bryant

Horrible, terrible AAU basketball. It’s stupid. It doesn’t teach our kids how to play the game at all so you wind up having players that are big and they bring it up and they do all this fancy crap and they don’t know how to post. They don’t know the fundamentals of the game. It’s stupid. – Kobe Bryant

I close my eyes and just reminisce. That’s what keeps me sane. – Kobe Bryant

I didn’t expect this award [the 2008 MVP] would come to me. I’m surprised. I’ve played pretty well in other seasons. Our team hasn’t been as good. Things just fell into place.

I don’t f— with bees, man. Other than that, I’m not afraid of nothing. – Kobe Bryant

I don’t give a [expletive] what you say. If I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, ‘Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.’ Well, [expletive] you. – Kobe Bryant

I don’t talk trash often, but when I do, I go for the jugular. – Kobe Bryant

I don’t think a coach becomes the right coach until he wins a championship. – Kobe Bryant

I don’t want to say I’ll be back at the top of my game because everybody’s gonna think I’m crazy and it’s the old player not letting go sort of thing, but that’s what it’s gonna be. – Kobe Bryant

I don’t mess with bees, man. Other than that, I’m not afraid of nothing. – Kobe Bryant

I draw from the crowd a lot. – Kobe Bryant

I enjoy playing at the heart of it is just a kid who really loves playing the game of basketball. – Kobe Bryant

I feel like it’s part of my responsibility to give back to the next generation, try to share and teach some of the things I have learned from some of the great players, great mentors, greats coaches that I’ve had. – Kobe Bryant, ESPN Press Room U.S.

I feel like killing everybody every time I go to the arena. – Kobe Bryant

I felt like when we came back from the All-Star break we needed everybody to feel like they were part of the team, … I’m just trying to do whatever the team needs at any given time. – Kobe Bryant

I focus on one thing and one thing only – that’s trying to win as many championships as I can. – Kobe Bryant

I follow my passion, things that I love to do, like writing and storytelling, I enjoy that. I don’t find myself having to remind myself to work hard and push myself to stay on top of things because I just love doing it. – Kobe Bryant

I grew up in front of these people, and now they are seeing me as an ‘older’ young man. – Kobe Bryant

I had some shots that I felt like I should’ve made; I just didn’t make them. I’m not going to shoot the ball great every night.

I had to organize things. So I created the ‘Black Mamba’. So Kobe has to deal with these issues, all the personal challenges. The Black Mamba steps on the court and does what he does. I’m destroying everybody that steps on the court. – Kobe Bryant

I have my own identity … The whole Michael thing does drive me nuts sometimes because people won’t leave it alone. He’s bald, I have hair. He’s almost 40, I’m 22. Seriously though, I wish people would let it be and let me just be Kobe. – Kobe Bryant

I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. – Kobe Bryant

I just got one more than Shaq. You can take that to the bank … You guys know how I am. I don’t forget anything. – Kobe Bryant

I know how to play my guard spot, … He can worry about the low post. – Kobe Bryant

I like playing for the purple and gold. This is where I want to finish up. – Kobe Bryant

I love going one-on-one with someone. That’s what I do. I’ve never lost. It’s a whole different game, just to have them right in front of you and be able to do whatever you want. – Kobe Bryant

I love the weather, I love my ’63 droptop Impala, I love the 405, and I love my guys. – Kobe Bryant

I mean, it’s just a game. No matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter. If you pick up a basketball, and go on your driveway pr go to the playground, and play basketball. The more you play, the better you get. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

I mean, the game has expanded so much and the NBA has become so global. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

I never tried to prove anything to someone else. I wanted to prove something to myself. – Kobe Bryant

I played T-Mac. I cooked him. Roasted him. Wasn’t even close. – Kobe Bryant

I realize now that there’s a strength in dunking that I can use to my advantage. When you dunk all the time it isn’t as demoralizing to the opponent, but when you dunk at a key moment in the game you can use it to change the momentum. – Kobe Bryant

I realized that intimidation didn’t really exist if you’re in the right frame of mind. – Kobe Bryant

I really don’t talk too much trash. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

I remember feeling the silence. I remember feeling the fear. I’m like, ‘This could be a wrap.’ And that’s what the silence was. It was like, ‘This could really be a wrap for you.’ – Kobe Bryant

I step on the court, that’s me. I don’t play around. I’m not there to be your best friend. I’m there to destroy you. – Kobe Bryant

I think a lot of it had to do with, uh, isolation. You know, growing up over there [in Italy] and being the only African-American kid. Not being able to speak the language. I gravitated towards the game. In that game, you find a lot of solace. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe – Shaq 1-on-1 Interview

I think Michael was able to compete in every part of the game. He was able to compete in every part of the game because of his size. You know, Michael was 6’6″, so he was able to compete on rebounding the basketball, defending every player on the court, scoring obviously, I think his leadership was unparalleled. I think when we talk about not only great competitor of the game, but also in general, Michael has to be at the top of the list. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

I think that game is a testament to what happens when you put no ceiling to what you’re capable of doing. – Kobe Bryant

I think there are a couple of players who could play in the NBA right now honestly. There’s a lot of players with a lot of skill that could do it. – Kobe Bryant

I wanna be the best, simple and plain. – Kobe Bryant

I wanted to be one of the best basketball players to ever play. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant Leaves The Audience SPEECHLESS

I was an idiot when I was a kid. – Kobe Bryant

I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don’t leave any bullets in the chamber. – Kobe Bryant

I was like a wild horse that had the potential to become Secretariat, but who was just too f***ing wild. So part of that was [Phil Jackson] trying to tame me. – Kobe Bryant

I was shooting 45 times a game. What was I supposed to do? Pass it into Chris Mime & Kwame Brown?– Kobe Bryant

I was tired as heck, man. When you know it’s the last game, you know you have to literally leave it all out there. – Kobe Bryant

I wear the number 10 Jersey for the US National Team in honour of the Greatest athlete I have ever seen: Messi. – Kobe Bryant

I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American. – Kobe Bryant

I would rather go 0-for-30 on the floor before I go 0-for-9. 0-for-9 means you beat yourself, you psyched yourself out of the game. The only reason is because you lost confidence in yourself. – Kobe Bryant

I wouldn’t say I’m a ball hog. I’m a shooter. – Kobe Bryant

I write all day and outline stories, a sports mythological universe. – Kobe Bryant

I’d rather be perceived as a mentor than a good teammate. I wish they both went hand-in-hand all the time, but that’s just not reality. I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. – Kobe Bryant

I’m chasing perfection. – Kobe Bryant

I’m extremely willful to win, and I respond to challenges. Scoring titles and stuff like that… it sounds, well, I don’t care how it sounds – to me, scoring comes easy. It’s not a challenge to me to win the scoring title, because I know I can. – Kobe Bryant

I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. No matter what the injury – unless it’s completely debilitating – I’m going to be the same player I’ve always been. I’ll figure it out. I’ll make some tweaks, some changes, but I’m still coming. – Kobe Bryant

I’m more than comfortable just sitting back and scoring 21, 22 points or whatever and getting 10, 11 assists whatever the case might be. More than comfortable with that. It’s just a matter of the pieces that you have around you and what you can do to elevate everybody else. – Kobe Bryant

I’m playing against great players, playing against the best in the world. The competition – that’s what I’ve always wanted. – Kobe Bryant

I’m reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect (on my mistakes) with a purpose. – Kobe Bryant

I’m reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve know for a long time that (sportswriters) are a bunch of idiots. I tend to use things as motivation that tend to be in the realm of reality. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve known for a long time they’re a bunch of idiots… I tend to use things as motivation that tend to be in the realm of reality. – Kobe Bryant, After ESPN ranked him the 40th-best player in the NBA

I’ve shot too much from the time I was 8 years old. But ‘too much’ is a matter of perspective. Some people thought Mozart had too many notes in his compositions. Let me put it this way: I entertain people who say I shoot too much. I find it very interesting. Going back to Mozart, he responded to critics by saying there were neither too many notes or too few. There were as many as necessary. – Kobe Bryant

If I panic, everyone else panics. – Kobe Bryant

If I wanted to play, I’d still be playing for the Lakers. The health thing I could’ve figured out…I just don’t want to play anymore. – Kobe Bryant

If there were camera phones back in the day, the biggest athletes in the world would have had a lot of explaining to do. – Kobe Bryant

If you do not believe in yourself no one will do it for you. – Kobe Bryant

If you don’t believe in yourself…nobody else will. – Kobe Bryant

If you make it, great. If you miss it – what’s there to be afraid of?– Kobe Bryant

If you really want to create something that lasts generations, you have to help inspire the next generation. – Kobe Bryant, CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” Today

If you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear. – Kobe Bryant

If you want to be great at something, there is a choice that you have to make. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that. – Kobe Bryant

If you want to be the greatest of all-time at something, there’s going to be a negative side to that. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant Will Always Be an All-Star of Talking

If you want to make history, you have to do historic things. – Kobe Bryant

I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot. – Kobe Bryant

I’m a scorer, not a triple-double player– Kobe Bryant

I’m chasing perfection. – Kobe Bryant

I’m extremely willful to win, and I respond to challenges. Scoring titles and stuff like that… it sounds, well, I don’t care how it sounds – to me, scoring comes easy. It’s not a challenge to me to win the scoring title, because I know I can. – Kobe Bryant

I’m focused on the task that lies ahead for us. – Kobe Bryant

I’m going to be the Will Smith of the NBA. – Kobe Bryant

I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. No matter what the injury – unless it’s completely debilitating – I’m going to be the same player I’ve always been. I’ll figure it out. I’ll make some tweaks, some changes, but I’m still coming. – Kobe Bryant

I’m just right down the middle, man, … It doesn’t matter to me. I’d love him (Phil Jackson) as a coach. It doesn’t matter to me. If they want him here, he’ll be here. If he wants to come, he’ll come, he’ll coach and we’ll go from there. – Kobe Bryant

I’m just so excited. We all are. We’ve been waiting for this [the gold medal] for years now and it’s finally here. This meant so much. It just felt so good. – Kobe Bryant

I’m more Darth Vader than I am Luke Skywalker. – Kobe Bryant, via twitter.com

I’m more than comfortable just sitting back and scoring 21, 22 points or whatever and getting 10, 11 assists whatever the case might be. More than comfortable with that. It’s just a matter of the pieces that you have around you and what you can do to elevate everybody else. – Kobe Bryant

I’m not jumping through the gym by any means. But I don’t need to be able to do that in order to be a great player. – Kobe Bryant

I’m not the most patient of people. – Kobe Bryant

I’m reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose. – Kobe Bryant, Lee Jenkins: Kobe Bryant: Reflections on a cold-blooded career

In an individual sport, yes, you have to win titles. Baseball’s different. But basketball, hockey? One person can control the tempo of a game, can completely alter the momentum of a series. There’s a lot of great individual talent. – Kobe Bryant

Isn’t the basis of a democracy to send somebody to Washington to bring something back for you? … It isn’t?– Kobe Bryant

It doesn’t matter to me what place I get traded to. If I was traded someplace – I’d play anywhere. – Kobe Bryant

It never bothered me when people would say, ‘You only win championships because you’re playing with Shaq.’ It bothered me when he said it. – Kobe Bryant

It really doesn’t matter to me. We’re just talking about clothes. I can understand what the NBA is trying to do. I love my sneakers, but we’re just talking about clothes. – Kobe Bryant

It’s a long journey but if you focus on the mini milestones along the way you will find beauty in the struggle. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe’s Instagram Page

It’s an intentional pass to oneself, so it’s an assist. That way people can’t say all I do is shoot. – Kobe Bryant

It’s disgusting, but my father taught me when your mouth gets dry, just suck the sweat out of your own jersey. There’s no bravado to any of it; it’s just a disgusting little trick. – Kobe Bryant

It’s hard for me to grasp the concept of somebody being nervous when I’m talking to them. – Kobe Bryant

It’s the one thing that you can control. You are responsible for how people remember you, or don’t. – Kobe Bryant

It’s the one thing you can control. You are responsible for how people remember you or don’t. So don’t take it lightly. – Kobe Bryant

It’s different from being 21 and you think there’s endless amount of opportunities. At 33, the ending is much, much closer. – Kobe Bryant

It’s disgusting, but my father taught me when your mouth gets dry, just suck the sweat out of your own jersey. There’s no bravado to any of it; it’s just a disgusting little trick. – Kobe Bryant

It’s hard for me to grasp the concept of somebody being nervous when I’m talking to them. – Kobe Bryant

It’s just a matter of getting those legs back. – Kobe Bryant

It’s just about the love of the game, not just competing. It’s a game that we all enjoy and we all love playing. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

It’s not about the number of hours you practice, it’s about the number of hours your mind is present during the practice. – Kobe Bryant

It’s wonderful for the players. It’s a huge challenge and a huge responsibility for us to get our act together, get our butts in gear. Phil isn’t going to bail us out because of our mental lapses. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve been watching Messi for some time now, and his ability to decide games and keep possession of the ball is amazing. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve got four dogs, and I just don’t do dog doo. I’m a diva when it comes to that. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve known for a long time that they’re a bunch of idiots. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve played with IVs before, during and after games. I’ve played with a broken hand, a sprained ankle, a torn shoulder, a fractured tooth, a severed lip, and a knee the size of a softball. I don’t miss 15 games because of a toe injury that everybody knows wasn’t that serious in the first place. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve pretty much done all I can here and, you know, God will carry me the rest of the way, so I’m pretty comfortable with that. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve shot too much from the time I was 8 years old. But ‘too much’ is a matter of perspective. Some people thought Mozart had too many notes in his compositions. Let me put it this way: I entertain people who say I shoot too much. I find it very interesting. Going back to Mozart, he responded to critics by saying there were neither too many notes or too few. There were as many as necessary.

June 2010, after winning his fifth title: I just got one more than Shaq. So you can take that to the bank. – Kobe Bryant

Just stick to the script, just try to get better and go from there. – Kobe Bryant, All-Star Media Transcript | Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe knew that to be the best you need a different approach from everyone else. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Listen to how everyone is talking about you. You have to use it as fuel for motivation. – Kobe Bryant

Love me or hate me, it’s one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I’m a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I’m loved, for the exact same reasons. – Kobe Bryant

Magic has five championships. I have five championships. I’m pretty sure we both know what we’re doing. – Kobe Bryant

Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robinson, Wilt Chamberlain, if we go by championship you have to go with Bill Russel, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I mean, how can you leave Kareem off that list? There are so many great players, to pick five! You can’t lose. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

Michael Jackson? He was something more (than one of my favorite entertainers), a true friend. He wasn’t just a genius. Above all, he was a good person, who gave so much. He gave people values, he encouraged them to better themselves all the time. He was far deeper and more authentic than people could see. He was misunderstood too many times – Kobe Bryant

My brain cannot process failure… It WILL not process failure – Kobe Bryant

My heart can take the pounding, my mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye. – Kobe Bryant, about Retirement

My name is Kobe Bryant, I’m 17 years old. I have the hunger, the motivation and the desire to be the best possible basketball player that I could be. – Kobe Bryant

My parents actually got the name from a steak house named ‘Kobe Beef,’ that’s the where the name originated. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

My parents are my backbone, they still are. They’re the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40. – Kobe Bryant

Nobody in the world can guard me one-on-one. – Kobe Bryant

Not even in my dreams. That was something that just happened. It’s tough to explain. It’s just one of those things. — when he scored 81 points in a game – Kobe Bryant

On being forced to retire if his hand fell off: Even then, you could still play with one hand. – Kobe Bryant

On Grinnell’s Jack Taylor scoring 138 points in one game: Would people be celebrating me if I scored 138 points? You know how it is; some people would, some people wouldn’t. They can all kiss my a– as I’m sure he feels the same way. If you score 138 points, you kind of have a license to tell people to f— off. – Kobe Bryant

On LeBron asserting that the 2012-13 Lakers would never experience the level of scrutiny his Miami Heat did: What does it matter? What does he want, a cookie for that? – Kobe Bryant

On Shaq: It used to drive me crazy that he was so lazy. You got to have the responsibility of working every single day. You can’t skate through s–. – Kobe Bryant

One thing you gotta know about me is I have absolutely no filter. I have no problem saying what the hell I think of someone.  – Kobe Bryant

Only an idiot would doubt my return. – Kobe Bryant

Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice inside your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue, you will change. Don’t let it stop you from being who you can be. Exhaustion is what tells you when you ought to stop. You can only reach your limit when you can go no further. – Kobe Bryant

Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue you will change. – Kobe Bryant

People look at my competitive spirit, and they automatically attach it to the thing that’s most similar, most easily recognizable, which is Michael [Jordan’s] competitive spirit. I’m different. I enjoy building. I enjoy the process of putting the puzzle together, and then the byproduct of that, the consequence of that, is beating somebody. That becomes the cherry on top, the icing on the cake. – Kobe Bryant

Pooper scooper? Yeah, I’ve done it a few times. Every once in a while, you have to. – Kobe Bryant

Rest at the end, not in the middle. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant: Mamba Mentality and The Mind of a Champion

Sometimes I do wonder what college would have been like. But I made my decision. – Kobe Bryant

Sports are such a great teacher. I think of everything they’ve taught me – camaraderie, humility, how to resolve differences. – Kobe Bryant

Take it all in. Sit back and watch and listen and hear all the hate that’s being thrown and remember every person that’s kicking you when you’re down. Because next year, it ain’t gonna be this way. Appreciate it now. Let it sit in now, because revenge is sweet and it’s quick. – Kobe Bryant

Take it all in. Sit back and watch and listen and hear all the hate that’s being thrown at us and remember every person that’s kicking you when you’re down, because next year it ain’t gonna be this way. Appreciate it now. Let it sit in now, because revenge is sweet and it’s quick. – Kobe Bryant

Teach players the game at an early age and stop treating them like cash cows for everyone to profit off of. – Kobe Bryant

That argument doesn’t make any sense to me. So we want to advance as a society and as a culture, but, say, if something happens to an African-American, we immediately come to his defense? Yet you want to talk about how far we’ve progressed as a society? Well, if we’ve progressed as a society, then you don’t jump to somebody’s defense just because they’re African-American. You sit and you listen to the facts just like you would in any other situation, right? So I won’t assert myself. – Kobe Bryant

The beauty in being blessed with talent is rising above doubters to create a beautiful moment. – Kobe Bryant

The best thing that happens is when we go out and fans would come up to me and she’ll be standing next to me, and they’ll be like, ‘You’ve gotta have a boy, you and V gotta have a boy. You gotta have somebody to carry on your tradition, the legacy. – Kobe Bryant

The Black Mamba collection of watches is me: It is my alter ego, so to speak. As I mentioned before, it is sharp, cutting edge and sleek which are characteristics I try to apply when I’m out there on the basketball court. – Kobe Bryant

The game itself is a very rhythmic game, and I think that basketball players are just naturally drawn to music. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

The guy said NBA players are one in a million, … I said, ‘Man, look, I’m going to be that one in a million. – Kobe Bryant

The Kobe 8 is about enhanced performance. It’s the most comfortable shoe I have worn. It’s simplistic but has an edge to it. – Kobe Bryant

The message was that if you want to win championships, you have to let people focus on what they do best while you focus on what you do best. For him, that was rebounding, running the floor, and blocking shots. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

The mindset isn’t about seeking a result—it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life. I do think that it’s important, in all endeavors, to have that mentality. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

The moment that you give up is the moment that you let your opponent win. – Kobe Bryant

The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win. – Kobe Bryant

The most important thing is to try and inspire people so they can be great in whatever they do. – Kobe Bryant, Quoted_story Instagram

The most important thing is you must put everybody on notice that you’re here and you are for real. I’m not a player that is just going to come and go. I’m not a player that is going to make an All-Star team one time, two times. I’m here to be an all-time great. Once I made that commitment and said, ‘I want to be one of the greatest ever’, then the game became everything for me. – Kobe Bryant

The most important thing, the thing that unites all of us, is that we can INSPIRE and CHALLENGE one another TO BE BETTER. – Kobe Bryant

The only aspect that can’t change, though, is that obsession. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

The only thing I’m afraid of is bees. I don’t like bees. I’m allergic to them. – Kobe Bryant

The party’s just getting started. This is where the fun starts. – Kobe Bryant

The people who truly know me know what I’m like. There have been people who try to say things that aren’t fair, and I check them. And then they don’t like me because I checked them. – Kobe Bryant

The thing that’s most enjoyable to me is not actually beating someone [in the game]. It’s the process of coming up with the blueprint of beating that I enjoy. That’s a huge flip, so for me I enjoy building. I enjoy coming up. – Kobe Bryant

There is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own – Kobe Bryant

There’s a lot of talk about me being a one man show but that’s not the case. WE win games when I score 40 points and we’ve won when I score 10. – Kobe Bryant

There’s certain players that I’ve made cry. If I can make you cry by being sarcastic, then I really don’t want to play with you in the playoffs. – Kobe Bryant

There’s a choice that we have to make as people, as individuals. If you want to be great at something, there’s a choice you have to make. We all can be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that. Family time, hanging out with friends, being a great friend, being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with making that decision. – Kobe Bryant

There’s a difference [between taking a charge and flopping]. We all know what flopping is when we see it. The stuff that you see is where guys aren’t really getting hit at all and are just flailing around like a fish out of water. That’s kind of like, where are your balls at? – Kobe Bryant

There’s a much bigger world out there. – Kobe Bryant

There’s a through line that connects all of us. – Kobe Bryant

There’s been a lot of talk of me being a one-man show but that’s simply not the case. We win games when I score 40 points and we’ve won when I score 10. – Kobe Bryant

There’s certain companies that line up with what the brand represents. There are other things that are more investment-focused. – Kobe Bryant

This is an award I couldn’t have won on my own. I can’t thank these guys enough. These are my guys, these are my brothers. – Kobe Bryant

To be honest with you, I (would) much rather play basketball and not be famous. – Kobe Bryant

Twitter is great to connect with fans and be transparent. I enjoy that aspect about it. But really, I’m still trying to figure it out.– Kobe Bryant

Use your success, wealth and influence to put them in the best position to realize their own dreams and find their true purpose. Put them through school, set them up with job interviews and help them become leaders in their own right. Hold them to the same level of hard work and dedication that it took for you to get to where you are now, and where you will eventually go. – Kobe Bryant, Letter to My Younger Self By Kobe Bryant

Use your success, wealth and influence to put them in the best position to realize their own dreams and find their true purpose. – Kobe Bryant

We all can be masters at our craft, but you have to make sacrifices that come along with making that decision. – Kobe Bryant

We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it. – Kobe Bryant

We all know what flopping is when we see it. The stuff that you see is where guys aren’t really getting hit at all and are just flailing around like a fish out of water. – Kobe Bryant

We all know what flopping is when we see it. The stuff that you see is where guys aren’t really getting hit at all and are just flailing around like a fish out of water. – Kobe Bryant

We can always kind of be average and do what’s normal. I’m not in this to do what’s normal. – Kobe Bryant

We don’t hang divisions (championships). – Kobe Bryant

We don’t quit. We don’t cower. We don’t run. We endure and conquer.– Kobe Bryant

We go out there, we play the game and leave it at that. – Kobe Bryant

We’re happy – until next January when people start talking about trading one of us. – Kobe Bryant

We’ve been working together for a year and a half and they’ve improved tremendously in that time. I’ve got a group of great parents, a group of really, really intelligent, hardworking girls, and — they’re all seventh graders, they’re all 12 years old — but they’ve been playing so well. – Kobe Bryant

Well I am a Shooting Guard That’s Played 19 Years. – Kobe Bryant

Well you see the object of the game is to win, so if you’re going to talk trash you might as well try to psych your opponent out. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

What does perfection look like to me? Championship rings – Kobe Bryant

What I mean by that is: if I wanted to implement something new into my game, I’d see it and try incorporating it immediately. I wasn’t scared of missing, looking bad, or being embarrassed. That’s because I always kept the end result, the long game, in my mind. I always focused on the fact that I had to try something to get it, and once I got it, I’d have another tool in my arsenal. If the price was a lot of work and a few missed shots, I was OK with that. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

What people see on court is another side of me; it’s not me. – Kobe Bryant

When everyone else was thinking it was time for bed, his mind was telling him it’s time to get ahead of the competition. – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

When I have the chance to guard Michael Jordan, I want to guard him. I want him. It’s the ultimate challenge. – Kobe Bryant

When I look at role models, I look at them a little bit differently. I don’t look at exactly how they go about doing it but look more to the person and how they navigate through the ups and downs of what they go through. – Kobe Bryant, CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” Today

When I take off my shoe and I look down at my scar, I see beauty in it. I see al the hard work, all the sacrifice. I see the journey that it took to get back to this point of being healthy. And I see in that struggle. That’s what makes it beautiful. – Kobe Bryant

When I was young, my mindset was image, image, image. I took that approach with the media. As I became more experienced I realized: No matter what, people are going to like you or not like you. So be authentic, and let them like you or not for who you actually are. At that point, I started keeping all of my answers blunt and straightforward. I would mix in some humor and sarcasm, too. I think fans and reporters came to appreciate that, came to appreciate the real me. – Kobe Bean Bryant, The Mamba Mentality : How I Play (2018), KEEP IT REAL.

When I’m finished playing, I want people to say, ‘He handled this well, he kept his cool.’ – Kobe Bryant

When you love something, you’ll always come back to it. You’ll always keep asking questions, and finding answers. – Kobe Bryant

When you start training camp, you’re building the tools necessary to win a championship. You have to have the patience.

Yeah, I moved to Italy when I was six years old. Myself, my two older sisters, my mother, my father. My father played professionally there for eight years, so it really helped me mature quickly, getting used to different cultures and different environments. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

Yeah, its amazing, because the game seems to transcend any language or cultural barriers that may be there. And its beautiful to see people reacting so enthusiastically to the game of basketball. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

You always have to be on edge. You always have to take every practice, every game, like it is your last. – Kobe Bryant

You always want to outwork your potential. As hard as you believe you can work, you can work harder than that. – Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality – Kobe Bryant

You can manipulate an opponent’s strength and use it against them – Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

You can’t go and anticipate what it is that you want to see. You just have to be present. Be where you are. – Kobe Bryant

You don’t want to jump into something if you’re not passionate about it. – Kobe Bryant, CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” Today

You got to have the responsibility of working every single day. You can’t skate through shit. – Kobe Bryant

You have to be able to separate business from the love of the game. There were a lot of decisions made business-wise that I wasn’t happy with, and I took a lot of blame over the years. But you have to be able to separate that from the love you have for the game. – Kobe Bryant

You have to be true to who you are. – Kobe Bryant

You just can’t underestimate the power of showing up every single day and doing the work. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant: Mamba Mentality and The Mind of a Champion

You just gotta keep pushing. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s Advice To LeBron James As Lakers Continue To Struggle, Miss Playoffs

You just stay patient, that’s all. – Kobe Bryant

You just try to take it one day at a time, … You step on the basketball floor and just play. It’s fun. I’m comfortable with it. – Kobe Bryant

You know, if you want to be a NBA basketball player, and you set yourself in the mindframe that you’re not going to be denied, and that’s what you want to accomplish, then you’re going to accomplish it. – Kobe Bryant, TalkAsia interview with Kobe Bryant

You want me to own a team and deal with these rich, spoiled stubborn athletes, and try to get them to perform? No thank you. – Kobe Bryant

You want to win as much as you can. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant Movie – The Legacy

On Confidence

I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant. – Kobe Bryant

The most important thing is you must put everybody on notice that you’re here and you are for real. – Kobe Bryant

Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones. – Kobe Bryant

The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do. – Kobe Bryant

I’m extremely willful to win, and I respond to challenges. It’s not a challenge to me to win the scoring title, because I know I can. – Kobe Bryant

Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise. – Kobe Bryant

This is the moment I accept the most challenging times will always be behind me and in front of me. – Kobe Bryant

Trust me, setting things up right from the beginning will avoid a ton of tears and heartache. – Kobe Bryant, Letter to My Younger Self By Kobe Bryant

I would go 0-for-30 [from the floor] before I would go 0-for-9. 0-for-9 means you beat yourself, you psyched yourself out of the game. … The only reason is because you’ve just now lost confidence in yourself. – Kobe Bryant

Oh, yeah. But the things that make a person average are also problems. The things that make someone not good at anything at all are a problem. If you want to be the greatest of all time at something, there’s going to be a negative side to that. If you want to be a high school principal, that’s fine, too — but that will also carry negative baggage. – Kobe Bryant, Bryant was asked whether the qualities that make him great are also problems.

On Failure and Fear

Losing is losing, there aren’t different degrees of losing. You either win a championship or you’re s**t. It’s very black & white to me.– Kobe Bryant

I don’t mean to sound cavalier when I say that, but never. It’s basketball. I’ve practiced and practiced and played so many times. There’s nothing truly to be afraid of, when you think about it … Because I’ve failed before, and I woke up the next morning, and I’m OK. People say bad things about you in the paper on Monday, and then on Wednesday, you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’ve seen that cycle, so why would I be nervous about it happening? – Kobe Bryant

If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail. – Kobe Bryant

When we are saying this cannot be accomplished, this cannot be done, then we are short-changing ourselves. My brain, it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I have to sit there and face myself and tell myself, ‘You’re a failure,’ I think that is worse, that is almost worse than death. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s Muse

I don’t have to hear that criticism, that idotic criticism anymore. – Kobe Bryant

My brain . . . it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I sit there and have to face myself and tell myself, ‘You’re a failure’ . . . I think that’s almost worse than death. – Kobe Bryant

Despite fear, (you have to) finish the job. – Kobe Bryant

Once you know what failure feels like, determination chases success. – Kobe Bryant

It’s not a question of if we make the playoffs; we will. And when we get there, I have no fear of anyone. – Kobe Bryant

You can’t be held captive by the fear of failure or the fear of what people may say. – Kobe Bryant

On Family

My parents are my backbone. Still are. They’re the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40. – Kobe Bryant

We just had so much fun because it was the first time I was seeing the game through her eyes. Gianna’s love for the sport.– Kobe Bryant

You’re my backbone. You’re a blessing. You’re a piece of my heart. You’re the air I breathe. And you’re the strongest person I know, and I’m so sorry for having to put you through this and having to put our family through this. – Kobe Bryant

The best thing that happens when we go out, fans will come up to me and she’ll be standing next to me and they’ll be like, ‘Hey, you gotta have a boy! You and V gotta have a boy to have somebody to carry on the tradition and the legacy.’ She’s like, ‘Hey, I got this! You don’t need a boy for that.’ – Kobe Bryant, On Coaching Gianna — Jimmy Kimmel Live!, October 2018

There’s a choice that we have to make as people, as individuals. If you want to be great at something there is a choice you have to make. We can all be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that – family time, hanging out with your friends, being a great friend. being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with that. – Kobe Bryant

On Friendship

Friends can come and go, but banners hang forever. – Kobe Bryant

I have friends. But being a ‘great friend’ is something I will never be. I can be a good friend. But not a great friend. A great friend will call you every day and remember your birthday. I’ll get so wrapped up in my s***, I’ll never remember that stuff. – Kobe Bryant

“When I was growing up in Italy, I grew up in isolation. It was not an environment suited to me. I was the only black kid. I didn’t speak the language. I’d be in one city, but then we’d move to a different city and I’d have to do everything again. I’d make friends, but I’d never be part of the group, because the other kids were already growing up together. So this is how I grew up, and these are the weaknesses that I have. – Kobe Bryant, GQ, February 2015

If you want to be great at something, there’s a choice you have to make. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that. Family time, hanging out with friends, being a great friend, being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. – Kobe Bryant

Dear Basketball,

From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.– Kobe Bryant, Dear Basketball | By Kobe Bryant

On Hard Work and Perseverance

Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses. – Kobe Bryant

I never looked at [basketball] as work. I didn’t realize it was work until my first year in the NBA. When I came around, I was surrounded by other professionals and I thought basketball was going to be everything to them and it wasn’t. And I was like, ‘This is different.’ I thought everybody was so obsessive about the game like me. It was like, no? Oh, that’s hard work. I get it now. – Kobe Bryant

I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.– Kobe Bryant

I have ‘like minds.’ You know, I’ve been fortunate to play in Los Angeles, where there are a lot of people like me. Actors. Musicians. Businessmen. Obsessives. People who feel like God put them on earth to do whatever it is that they do. Now, do we have time to build great relationships? Do we have time to build great friendships? No. Do we have time to socialize and to hang out aimlessly? No. Do we want to do that? No. We want to work. I enjoy working. – Kobe Bryant, 2015 profile in GQ

I want to learn how to become the best basketball player in the world. And if I’m going to learn that, I gotta learn from the best. Kids go to school to be doctors or lawyers, so forth and so on and that’s where they study. My place to study is from the best. – Kobe Bryant

It’s not about the number of hours you practice, it’s about the number of hours your mind is present during the practice.– Kobe Bryant

I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I’m like, ‘My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don’t have it. I just want to chill.’ We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it. – Kobe Bryant

I’ve played with IVs before, during and after games. I’ve played with a broken hand, a sprained ankle, a torn shoulder, a fractured tooth, a severed lip, and a knee the size of a softball. I don’t miss 15 games because of a toe injury that everybody knows wasn’t that serious in the first place. – Kobe Bryant

People just don’t understand how obsessed I am with winning. – Kobe Bryant

I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot. – Kobe Bryant

These young guys are playing checkers. I’m out there playing chess. – Kobe Bryant, on Technique

I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you. – Kobe Bryant

We all can be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that. Family time, hanging out with friends, being a great friend, being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with making that decision. – Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s Muse

I create my own path. It was straight and narrow. I looked at it this way: you were either in my way, or out of it. – Kobe Bryant

Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue you will change. – Kobe Bryant

The last time I was intimidated was when I was 6 years old in karate class. I was an orange belt and the instructor ordered me to fight a black belt who was a couple years older and a lot bigger. I was scared s–less. I mean, I was terrified and he kicked my ass. But then I realized he didn’t kick my ass as bad as I thought he was going to and that there was nothing really to be afraid of. That was around the time I realized that intimidation didn’t really exist if you’re in the right frame of mind. – Kobe Bryant

On Life

I’m chasing perfection. – Kobe Bryant

Life is too short to sit around and hold grudges. – Kobe Bryant

Have a good time. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling. – Kobe Bryant, CBS, July 2008

Use your success, wealth and influence to put them in the best position to realize their own dreams and find their true purpose. – Kobe Bryant

It doesn’t bother me at all. Do I hold any hard feelings? Not at all. Life is too short to sit around and hold grudges. I don’t hold any whatsoever. – Kobe Bryant

Once you know what it is in life that you want to do, then the world basically becomes your library. Everything you view, you can view from that perspective, which makes everything a learning asset for you. – Kobe Bryant

Be sad. Be mad. Be frustrated. Scream. Cry. Sulk. When you wake up you will think it was just a nightmare only to realize it’s all too real. You will be angry and wish for the day back, the game back THAT play back. But reality gives nothing back and nor should you. – Kobe Bryant, 2017 Instagram post preparing for surgery

Because I am. That’s just the maturation. That’s 17 years of seeing everything the game can dish out. I’ve seen it all before. There’s no need to get too crazy or bent out of shape. There are still challenges every day. But I’m still having fun. I was born to play this game. I still love it. – Kobe Bryant, 2013 ESPN interview

Even then, you could still play with one hand. – Kobe Bryant, comment on retirement

I’ve pretty much done all I can here and, you know, God will carry me the rest of the way, so I’m pretty comfortable with that. – Kobe Bryant

As far as carrying the torch for the years to come, I don’t know. I just want to be the best basketball player I can be. – Kobe Bryant

It’s a long journey but if you focus on the mini milestones along the way you will find beauty in the struggle of doing simple things that … were taken for granted. This will also mean that when you return you will have a new perspective. You will be so appreciative of being able to stand, walk, run that you will train harder than you ever have. You see the belief within you grow with each mini milestone and you will come back a better player for it. – Kobe Bryant, Instagram, October 2017

You got to do what you love to do. I love telling stories. I love inspiring kids or providing them with tools that are going to help them. – Kobe Bryant, USA Today Sports, January 2020