10 Inspiring Kobe Bryant Quotes From His Legendary Career That Will Live On Forever

To remember and honor Kobe Bryant, we celebrate his life and legacy through his own inspiring words.

You don't have to be a basketball fan to have been hit by the shocking and sad news about the tragic death of five-time world-champion Kobe Bryant.

Kobe had a 20-season career with the Lakers, earned the title of Most Valuable Player in the NBA in 2008, became an 18-time NBA All-Star and a member of the All-NBA Team 15 times. But Kobe wasn't just a wealthy high-profile athlete, he was also an inspiring role model, leader and entrepreneur.

To celebrate Kobe's legacy, we honor him by collecting 10 of his most inspiring quotes that will live on forever and help inspire people everywhere.

DREAMS

“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. And if you guys can understand that, then what you’ll see happen is you won’t accomplish your dreams, your dreams won’t come true; something greater will.” — Kobe Bryant From his jersey retirement speech, 2017

SUCESS

"When you make a choice and say, 'Come hell or high water, I am going to be this,' then you should not be surprised when you are that. It should not be something that is intoxicating or out of character because you have seen this moment for so long that ... when that moment comes, of course it is here because it has been here the whole time, because it has been [in your mind] the whole time." — Kobe Bryant

HARD WORK

"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

TEAM WORK

"The important thing is that your teammates have to know you're pulling for them and you really want them to be successful." — Kobe Bryant

LEADERSHIP

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

FAILURE

"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." — Kobe Bryant

FEAR

"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." — Kobe Bryant

WINNING

"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." — Kobe Bryant

INFLUENCE

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

LIFE

"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." — Kobe Bryant Always remembered, never forgotten.