Kobe Bryant Quotes

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

“I'm playing against great players, playing against the best in the world. The competition-that's what I've always wanted.”

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

“We're grown ass men, you don't need to be falling all over the place.”

“I'm focused on the task that lies ahead for us.”

“Winning takes precedence over all. There's no gray area. No almosts.”

“You can't go and anticipate what it is that you want to see. You just have to be present. Be where you are.”

“I don't just try to score. The challenge is elevating my teammates to be able to win a championship.”

“I wouldn't say I'm a ball hog. I'm a shooter.”

“I like playing for the purple and gold. This is where I want to finish up.”

“There is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own”

“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.”

“When I'm finished playing, I want people to say, 'He handled this well, he kept his cool.'”

“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.”

“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.”

“Because we're old as sh*t. What do you want?”

“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.”

“The important thing is that your teammates have to know you're pulling for them and you really want them to be successful.”

“I'm chasing perfection.”

“Difficulty is a nurse of greatness-a harsh nurse, who rocks her foster children roughly, but rocks them in strength and athletic proportion. The mind, grappling with great aims and wrestling with mighty impediments, grows by a certain necessity to the stature of greatness.”

“What does perfection look like to me? Championship rings”

“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.”

“I'm going to be the Will Smith of the NBA.”

“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.”

“When you love something, you'll always come back to it. You'll always keep asking questions, and finding answers.”