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 BryantLove 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 BryantIt's different from being 21 and you think there's endless amount of opportunities. At 33, the ending is much, much closer.
Kobe BryantMagic has five championships. I have five championships. I'm pretty sure we both know what we're doing.
Kobe BryantSports are such a great teacher. I think of everything they've taught me: camaraderie, humility, how to resolve differences.
Kobe BryantChristmas 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 BryantI 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.
Kobe BryantThe 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 BryantAre 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 BryantThe guy said NBA players are one in a million, ... I said, 'Man, look, I'm going to be that one in a million.
Kobe BryantOne 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 BryantTwitter 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 BryantEach 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 BryantThe most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.
Kobe BryantIf there were camera phones back in the day, the biggest athletes in the world would have had a lot of explaining to do.
Kobe BryantThe hunger [to success] is the same, no matter what it is that you're doing. It's like an unquenchable thirst to learn more, or to feel like you could have done more, and to be brutally honest and self critical, which is very hard to do. It's easy, and human nature is to just blame somebody else. It's very, very hard to self assess.
Kobe BryantI 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.
Kobe BryantEveryone looks at your watch and it represents who you are, your values and your personal style.
Kobe BryantThe motivation for me is just the game itself, just playing the game the right way and trying to win, compete every time I step out there on the floor. That's motivation enough for me to go out there and play well.
Kobe BryantI think that game is a testament to what happens when you put no ceiling to what you're capable of doing.
Kobe BryantI don't set out to make a really hot shoe, I set out to make a product that is true to where I am.
Kobe BryantI've been watching Messi for some time now, and his ability to decide games and keep possession of the ball is amazing.
Kobe BryantI 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 BryantThere’s a reason why players that have multiple championships have multiple championships. There’s a certain characteristic and an understanding and knowledge and that’s not something that’s easily taught. You kind of have to go through it and it kind of has to be part of your DNA from the beginning.
Kobe BryantMichael 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 BryantI'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 BryantI'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 BryantThe 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