(Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
As I reflect on the life of Kobe Bryant I searched for some of the positive energy he left behind. He was a competitor on & off the court and I think we all can take something from Kobe's inspiring words. I know I will.
--Rock
KOBE BRYANT IN HIS OWN WORDS
“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 don’t believe in yourself, no one will do it for you.”
“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.”
“Be willing to sacrifice anything, but compromise nothing in your quest to be your best.”
“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 moment you give up, is the moment you let someone else win.”
“To be an event, every single night. Something witnessed. Not just watched. I had a different drive. The kind that made people uneasy. Some people wanted me to come back down to earth. To come down to their level. To relax. But I couldn’t. It wasn’t in my DNA. Because to go where others have never gone, you have to do what others have never done.”
“We don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.”
“Being a father is the thing I am most proud of in this world; it’s my greatest accomplishment. I’ve learned so much, but perhaps the most profound thing has been the fierce, unconditional love you have for your children when you become a parent. I’m blessed to have had that experience four times now and there’s nothing more powerful in this world.”
“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
“The beauty in being blessed with talent is rising above doubters to create a beautiful moment.”
“Learn to love the hate. Embrace it. Enjoy it. You earned it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone should have one about you. Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.”
“If you are going to be a leader, you’re not going to please everybody. You got to hold people accountable, even if you have that moment of being uncomfortable.”
“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 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.”
“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.”