Kobe Bryant

“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.”

“There's a through line that connects all of us.”

“It doesn't matter to me what place I get traded to. If I was traded someplace - I'd play anywhere.”

“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.”

“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.”

“There's a much bigger world out there.”

“To be honest with you, I (would) much rather play basketball and not be famous.”

“If they want to win right now, I'm all for it. That's all I said the whole time. If you want to wait five years, let me know. My legs aren't as young as they used to be.”

“I don't have to hear that criticism, that idotic criticism anymore.”

“You always have to be on edge. You always have to take every practice, every game, like it is your last.”

“If you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear.”

“Listen to how everyone is talking about you. You have to use it as fuel for motivation.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I was an idiot when I was a kid.”

“I'm not the most patient of people...”

“My parents are my backbone. Still are. They're the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40.”

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

“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.”

“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.”

“The only thing I'm afraid of is bees. I don't like bees. I'm allergic to them.”

“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”

“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.”

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

“I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success.”

“I love the weather, I love my '63 droptop Impala, I love the 405, and I love my guys.”

“For us to be the team that got him that historic 10th championship is special for us.”

“I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber.”

“I'm chasing perfection.”

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

“I was shooting 45 times a game. What was I supposed to do? Pass it into Chris Mihm & Kwame Brown?”

“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.”

“If you don't believe in yourself...nobo dy else will.”

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

“I wanna be the best, simple and plain”

“I'm reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose.”

“I was probably born a scorer, but I was made a winner. Whatever works, whatever wins championships, wins games, that's what I do.”

“Everybody shut up. Let us work.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I enjoy playing at the heart of it is just a kid who really loves playing the game of basketball.”

“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.”

“Just got one more than Shaq. You can take that to the bank.”

“When you have empathy toward your opponents, it helps you destroy them quicker. Because you understand exactly who they are. You understand what buttons to push. You understand if they're insecure, if they fear embarrassment. And you can really hit those buttons to strike a nerve.”

“You have to be true to who you are.”

“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.”

“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?”

“I'm a scorer, not a triple-double player”

“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.”

“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.”