25 Kobe Bryant Quotes to Help You Overcome Every Challenge

Often referred to as one of the best basketball players in the history of the game, Kobe Bryant played in the NBA, with the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons before his retirement in 2016.

Tragically, the "Black Mamba," along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, had their lives cut short after a fatal helicopter crash in 2020.

Less than four years into the retirement of the beloved athlete, Bryant was seizing new challenges and working to inspire his daughters’ generation through sports and storytelling when his next chapter ended shockingly early.

Never a strange to the big shot on the court, Bryant also had a way with words and was able to motivate his fans through quotes.

“It’s step by step," said Bryant. "One foot in front of the other. Get better every single day.”

Kobe was never a stranger to the game that skyrocketed his legacy, since his father was also a professional basketball player. He spent most of his childhood in Italy after his father retired from the NBA and moved his family to Rieti to continue his career, but at a lower level.

Work Hard: Bryant Was the Epitome of a Superstar Athlete

Bryant started shooting hoops when he was only three years old and earned national recognition in high school, after moving back to the US. He was soon traded to the Lakers and became the second youngest NBA player in history.

For several years, Bryant constantly competed with his teammate Shaquille O’Neal for the title of Lakers’ greatest player. When talented O’Neal left the team, Kobe finally got the chance to prove that he can still perform brilliantly and led the Lakers to two consecutive championships.

Bryant Never Lost Sight of Living his Own Dream

In 2003, Kobe’s reputation was seriously tarnished after he was accused of sexual assault. All charges were dropped and he maintained his innocence. 

On the 26th of January 2020, Kobe and Gianna met with a tragic and untimely death when their helicopter crashed. The news sent a shockwave throughout the whole world, as his impact has been widespread. He left behind his wife, Vanessa Bryant and his 3 other daughters.

In his retirement years, Kobe learned much from coaching basketball to his daughter Gianna, whom he saw as his legacy. He became a strong advocate for the Women's National Basketball Association and female athletes all over. 

Here Are 25 Kobe Bryant Quotes to Help You Overcome Every Challenge

"This is the moment I accept the most challenging times will always be behind me and in front of me."

"Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise."

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

"Winning takes precedence over all. There’s no gray area. No almosts."

"Once you know what failure feels like, determination chases success."

"I realized that intimidation didn’t really exist if you’re in the right frame of mind."

"I’m reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose."

"I’m extremely willful to win, and I respond to challenges. It’s not a challenge to me to win the scoring title, because I know I can."

"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 beauty in being blessed with talent is rising above doubters to create a beautiful moment."

"A lot of leaders fail because they don’t have the bravery to touch that nerve or strike that chord."

"The moment you give up, is the moment you let someone else win."

"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."

"If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail."

"Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue you will change."

"Use your success, wealth and influence to put them in the best position to realize their own dreams and find their true purpose."

"If you want to be great at something, there’s a choice you have to make. 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."

"We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it."

"My brain . . . it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I sit there and have to face myself and tell myself, ‘You’re a failure’ . . . I think that’s almost worse than death."

"The most important thing is you must put everybody on notice that you’re here and you are for real."

"Trust me, setting things up right from the beginning will avoid a ton of tears and heartache…"

"I create my own path. It was straight and narrow. I looked at it this way: you were either in my way, or out of it."

"We can always kind of be average and do what’s normal. I’m not in this to do what’s normal."

"Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones."

"It’s the one thing you can control. You are responsible for how people remember you—or don’t. So don’t take it lightly."