35 Kobe Bryant Quotes – The Mindset of A Winner

Kobe Bryant quotes in this article will make you dive into the life of a successful basketball champion who did his best during his career until the end.

His mindset of a winner extended beyond basketball. Kobe Bryant inspired people of different ages and careers by sharing his wisdom and positive experiences of work and life through speeches and interviews.

I will share with you some of the best of what he said about life, perseverance, leadership, overcoming fear, and success.

Here are best of Kobe Bryant quotes to help you strive to be better and succeed in life.

You can also watch THE MINDSET OF A WINNER – Kobe Bryant Motivational Speech

Most Popular Kobe Bryant Quotes

1. On overcoming fear, Kobe Bryant said: “The last time I was intimidated was when I was 6 years old in karate class. I was an orange belt and the instructor ordered me to fight a black belt who was a couple years older and a lot bigger. I was scared s–less. I mean, I was terrified and he kicked my ass. But then I realized he didn’t kick my ass as bad as I thought he was going to and that there was nothing really to be afraid of. That was around the time I realized that intimidation didn’t really exist if you’re in the right frame of mind.”

2. He also said, “I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have a 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 Bryant quotes

3. About keeping a positive mindset, Kobe Bryant said, “The mindset isn’t about seeking a result, it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life. I do think that it’s important, in all endeavors, to have that mentality.”

4. On perseverance he said, “What I mean by that is: if I wanted to implement something new into my game, I’d see it and try incorporating it immediately. I wasn’t scared of missing, looking bad, or being embarrassed. That’s because I always kept the end result, the long game, in my mind. I always focused on the fact that I had to try something to get it, and once I got it, I’d have another tool in my arsenal. If the price was a lot of work and a few missed shots, I was OK with that.”

5. And, one of top Kobe Bryant quotes on never giving up, “Have a good time. Enjoy life. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.”

Kobe Bryant was one of the most famous basketball players in the world. As a basketball legend, he’s inspired people with his perseverance and discipline in training, coaching, and leadership.

You may also like 50 Best Life Lessons and Success Quotes by Napoleon Hill.

Motivational Kobe Bryant Quotes

1. “You’ve got to step up and play, man. You can’t worry about criticism. You can’t worry about failure. You really can’t worry about that stuff. You’ve got to go out and figure that out and play and do the best you can, and whatever happens, happens. You can’t be held captive by the fear of failure or the fear of what people may say.”

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

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. “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.”

5. “When we are saying this cannot be accomplished, this cannot be done, then we are short-changing ourselves. My brain, it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I have to sit there and face myself and tell myself, ‘You are a failure,’ I think that is almost worse than dying.”

6. “I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.”

Kobe Bryant quotes

7. “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.”

8. “Those times when you get up early and you work hard; those times when you stay up late and you work hard; those times when you don’t feel like working, you’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself, but you do it anyway; that is actually the dream. That’s the dream. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”

9. “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.”

10. “I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my game, but I also wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family time. So I decided to sacrifice sleep, and that was that.”

Quotes on leadership and success

1. “To be an effective leader, you have to be a really good listener and not to what’s being said, but to what’s not being said. You have to be really observant. That was a big transition for me. I went from being a scorer and a floor general … to being a leader and that meant putting others first. That means not worrying about are you in rhythm, are you playing well in this game, are you ready to go, to being, are they ready? What can I do to help them be ready?”

2. “I’m not the most talented. I’m not the tallest. But I’m not afraid of anyone.”

3. “If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail.”

4. “The story continues. If you fail on Monday, the only way it’s a failure is if you decide to not progress from that. To me, that’s why failure is not existent. If I fail today, I’m going to learn something from that failure. I’m going to try again.”

5. “I’m not afraid to tell you that I’m obsessed with success.”

6. “A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out. That’s totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody.”

7. “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.”

8. “May you always remember to enjoy the road, especially when it’s a hard one.”

9. “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.”

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

You can also read 25 Positive Sayings About Life

Inspirational Kobe Bryant Quotes

1. “I focus on one thing and one thing only – that’s trying to win as many championships as I can.”

2. “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.”

3. “The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.”

4. “Be yourself. That’s it. Be you. There’s no gimmick. You don’t have to contrive anything. Who are you? Where are you today? What is your story? And all you’re doing is communicating that story to the public.”

5. “Once you know what failure feels like, determination chases success.”

6. “I see the beauty in getting up in the morning and being in pain because I know all the hard work that it took to get to this point. So, I’m not, I’m not sad about [retiring]. I’m very appreciative of what I’ve had.”

7. “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.”

8. “If you really want to be great at something you have to truly care about it. If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it.”

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

10. “From the beginning, I wanted to be the best. I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best. I never needed any external forces to motivate me.”

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