You don’t have to be a basketball fan to know the name Kobe Bryant. His legacy goes beyond his impressive stats as a Los Angeles Laker – he was a dedicated father, philanthropist, actor, creator, and all-around good guy. He may be gone, but never forgotten; his legacy lives on in some of the most Kobe Bryant famous quotes that inspire, motivate and drive others to live with the same passion as the Black Mamba.
Here are five of the best Kobe Bryant inspirational quotes to carry in your own life:
5. “These young guys are playing checkers. I’m out there playing chess.”
Kobe Bryant had a unique style of play when he was on the floor. He could dominate the game with his killer shooter instinct, as shown with his remarkable 81-point massacre against the Toronto Raptors in early 2006. He also orchestrated the team with his amazing passing and play calling.
In addition to his wide array of talents, he has created an offensive style that complements the triangle offense, which is in itself a complicated style of play. It takes experience to master this type of style, and Kobe clearly is in his own separate world in terms of talent.
The younger players on his team couldn’t match his basketball IQ as it is too high, but that can be a problem as he sees the floor very differently. With the ball in his hand, only Bryant knows what is going to happen and that could very well be the reason why he is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers – one of Kobe’s greatest quotes.
4. “Everything negative—pressure, challenges—is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
Bryant developed himself as one of the best clutch performers in NBA history with his remarkable late game heroics. There have been countless situations in which the Lakers have relied on Kobe to lift them past the opposing team with the clock winding down.
Even though the ball didn’t go through the net every time he attempted to save the Lakers, Bryant had the confidence to take that responsibility for the team. The atmosphere and the possibility of losing allows Bryant to transform into the Black Mamba and strike his opponent with his deadly shots.
Bryant fed off of negative energy by using that pressure as motivation to surpass his opponents. This quote by Kobe Bryant is a testament to his career and his legacy in general.
3. “What I’m doing right now, I’m chasing perfection.”
Most of the famous Kobe Bryant quotes are a reminder that he wanted to be the greatest basketball player of all time.
He was an athlete who constantly athlete who constantly worked to improve his basketball game with new skills and bring his game as close to perfection as possible. Bryant wanted to master every aspect of his game, whether that was improving his post-up moves, his free throw shooting, his fade-away shots, or his defense. He spends countless hours in the gym and it’s not surprising to find him staying on the practice floor well after practice ends because his killer instinct and desire to get better with every passing day. His dedication and commitment to the game of basketball was unparalleled by any other player who has played the game, and it has been shown through his performances.
Obviously, no one is perfect and can ever reach perfection, but Bryant has the dedication to come closer to that mark than any basketball player has before.
2. “You always have to be on edge. You always have to take every practice, every game, like it is your last.”
This famous Kobe quote summarizes how Bryant approaches the game of basketball. He constantly attempted to demonstrate his best performance in every contest he played in whether through his shooting, passing, or rebounding.
Most importantly, Bryant rose as a leader on the Lakers squad, and continueds to challenge his teammates to always perform better than their previous games. He helped define expectations throughout his career with stellar performances, but that is because he always approached the game with the best mindset.
As a Laker fan, you used to cringe at the idea of Kobe retiring and never playing a game of professional basketball ever again, but now, we can appreciate everything that he brought to the court when he could. Kobe approached every practice and every game with the mentality that it could be his last, and for that, Lakers fans can be forever grateful.
1. “I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”
Likely one of the most important Kobe famous sayings, it’s a testament to his mentality and ability to overcome comparison.
No one will ever be the next Michael Jordan. Jordan is in his own separate universe when it comes to basketball greatness, but Bryant also created his own reputation as one of the most talented basketball players in NBA history.
Bryant has demonstrated his own basketball style through his ridiculous scoring ability and consistent late game heroics. Bryant will forever go down in NBA history as is one of the most dedicated and hard-working professional athletes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-2Hd-Ly2CQ&feature=related and that is something that these two remarkable talents have in common. Bryant always understood that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player to ever play in the NBA, but he also knows that he could become better than Michael Jordan by being himself.
The best Kobe quotes are the epitome of everything he was, and his legacy will live on forever.