We are still reeling from the tragic loss of basketball great Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven other passengers on that helicopter flight. For today’s Thoughtful Thursday, rather than presenting more poetry to soothe our collective pain, we offer inspirational quotes from the man himself. Taken from interviews over the years and his book “The Mamba Mentality”, his words remind us of his dedication to hard work, his unyielding quest for greatness, his desire to inspire others to achieve, and why this loss is so profound. Share these with your children, and enjoy.
What it Takes to be Great
“Dedication sees dreams come true.”
“The strength to make it becomes greater than the fear of missing it.”
“Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
“You have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light.”
“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.”
The Mamba Mentality
“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.”
“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.”
“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’re a failure,’ I think that is worse, that is almost worse than death.”
What it Takes to Stay Great
“Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.”
“I 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.”
“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.”
What Really Matters
“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.”
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”
