These Kobe Bryant quotes showcase the amazing mind behind the basketball great. It’s clear he had great verbal prowess in additon to the grit, perseverance, and determination that made him a basketball legend.
Kobe Bryant, a 20-year journeyman of the Lakers and an 18-time All-Star who amassed five NBA titles and was widely considered one of the game’s all-time best players, passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
Kobe Bryant died far too young, but he left an indelible imprint on basketball, society, and the world.
Kobe Bryant will be remembered forever for the innumerable game-winning shots he made, the number of points he scored, the championships he won, the vicious dunks he performed, and the deadly mid-range game he possessed.
Beyond the honors and professional achievements, Kobe will be known for his Mamba Mentality, with which he motivated so many people.
Kobe Bryant introduced the basketball world to the Mamba Mentality through his renowned work ethic and unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Because he maintained this mentality from the start of his career until the very end of it, he is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished athletes who has ever taken the field.
In this article, we’ve compiled 30 of Kobe’s most memorable quotes from his 20-year basketball career to honor his legacy.
Most Popular Kobe Bryant Quotes
Bryant had a beautiful and direct way with words, which was an ability he worked hard to develop just like his on-court abilities.
Here we’ve chosen the most popular Kobe Bryant quotes that highlight his verbal prowess as well as the grit, determination, and drive that made him a legend.
#1
“I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”
#2
“I’m chasing perfection.”
#3
“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.”
#4
“My parents are my backbone. Still are. They’re the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40.”
#5
“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.”
#6
“Magic has five championships. I have five championships. I’m pretty sure we both know what we’re doing.”
#7
“What people see on court is another side of me; it’s not me.”
#8
“I draw from the crowd a lot.”
#9
“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.”
#10
“Everyone looks at your watch and it represents who you are, your values and your personal style.”
Inspirational Kobe Bryant Quotes
Regardless of how big your objectives are or how difficult the obstacles you may encounter in life, obstacles can have a good or negative impact on you.
You will have a lot of options for how to move forward on your path to achievement. However, human nature dictates that route becomes binary in the presence of obstacles. You can either fight through it or give up.
These inspirational Kobe Bryant quotes are sure to motivate you on your journey.
#1
“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
#2
“I’m reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose.”
#3
“Sports are such a great teacher. I think of everything they’ve taught me: camaraderie, humility, how to resolve differences.”
#4
“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.”
#5
“If I panic, everyone else panics.”
#6
“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.”
#7
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”
#8
“It’s different from being 21 and you think there’s endless amount of opportunities. At 33, the ending is much, much closer.”
Related: Score Big: 30 Winning Michael Jordan Quotes
#9
“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.”
#10
“The topic of leadership is a touchy one. A lot of leaders fail because they don’t have the bravery to touch that nerve or strike that chord. Throughout my years, I haven’t had that fear.”
Kobe Bryant Quotes About Chasing Success
Five NBA titles and ranking among the league’s top scorers are achievements that he could not have attained on their own. Bryant had to be consistent and a good leader to accomplish these and many other significant achievements.
The following quotes outline how Kobe concentrated on transforming challenges and critical situations into success.
#1
“People just don’t understand how obsessed I am with winning.”
#2
“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.”
#3
“Winning takes precedence over all. There’s no gray area. No almosts.”
#4
“If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail.”
#5
“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.”
#6
“The important thing is that your teammates have to know you’re pulling for them and you really want them to be successful.”
#7
“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.”
#8
“I like playing for the purple and gold. This is where I want to finish up.”
#9
“Dropkick Murphys get me going, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana… plus, all the regular hip-hop stuff.”
#10
“I focus on one thing and one thing only – that’s trying to win as many championships as I can.”
Final Thoughts
We hope you liked reading these amazing Kobe Bryant quotes!
Interested in reading some more amazing quotes from famous figures? Check out these articles:
- 30 Profound Michael Jordan Quotes From The Legend Himself
- 30 Usain Bolt Quotes That Remind Us Why He’s The Greatest
- 30 Serena Williams Quotes That Show Why She’s Tennis’ Number One
- Babe Ruth Quotes: 30 Quotes In Memory Of Baseball’s Hero
