Kobe Quotations

Losing Michael Jackson is a handicap. It's the Lakers trying to win a championship without Kobe Bryant.

There are very few LeBron James and Kobe Bryants.

When you play with Kobe Bryant, the ball is gonna be with him most of the time, which is understandable.

Whether you like him or dislike him, Kobe is a special player. He has the killer instinct in him that a lot of the talented players don't have. When he smells blood, he goes for the jugular. That's a (Michael) Jordan-like quality.

We remind our players that this is something that was a special night in a heated situation but it's not going to be a steady diet for us. The onus on Kobe is to stay inside the team offense. The onus on the players is to pick it up a little bit better.

We knew we weren't going to be able to keep Kobe under 30, but you want to make him work for it. And I think we did a pretty good job of that.

We were aware of his every whereabouts. He likes to make his moves in transition. We had three or four guys back every time. We took Kobe out of his sweet spots by running guys at him, and their other guys never got going.

We designed it just right. We just wanted to make sure that Kobe would not get a good look. Calvin was very instrumental in it. Kobe tried to turn and make a pass, and it just slipped out of his hand. That is a part of fatigue. He is a great player. We take the challenge to go against someone like him.

When you burn a bridge sometimes -- it doesn't matter if it's a significant player on a team, especially a significant player like Kobe -- you might say let bygones be bygones, (but) there's always that underlying, 'Oh, you talked about me,' Me personally, I don't think it'll work out. But who knows? Crazier things have happened.

Meeting Kobe Bryant is a great feeling. I've got family here, I've got all my friends. It's just a great honor that I'll never forget.

Nothing against Tony, but there's other guys playing great. Tracy (McGrady) has to be there. It's in Houston. And then you got Kobe and Ray Allen. He's just got some stiff competition.

I would assume the more aggressive Kobe will be out. I'm sure he'll be trying to still get other guys involved to a certain degree, but I expect him to be looking for his more than last game.

I didn't really know that. Fans really get hold of that type of information when you pass on a guy. Kobe Bryant was the 13th pick, Tracy McGrady was the ninth pick. You never really know until you step on the court, so you really can't fault them.

I felt at some times Kobe might have taken advantage of our flexibility,

Great players make great plays. Kobe hit some big shots.

He has an enormous ego, which is good because that's why he's (in the NBA). He probably doesn't, behind closed doors, respect Kobe (Bryant) but he's got to respect (coach) Phil (Jackson) so that will kind of keep him in his place. He was the type of kid who had natural basketball instinct. He did things I couldn't teach.

He reminds me of Kobe Bryant the way he's playing.

He's 6-foot-4, runs like a deer and can jump like Kobe Bryant.

He was Kobe Bryant tonight. I was pretty sure he wanted to come back at us because we pretty much hurt him when we played last time.

He's part of the Nike group of athletes that endorse our product. There's been no change. Our relationship with Kobe has remained intact.

Heck, Kobe was one move from going around me. It does me no good to see that. I felt it was my fault because he reached around and stole the ball from me.

Guys like Kobe and Lamar know where they should be (in the Lakers' offense). I'm still learning where I'm supposed to be.

Guys like Kobe and Lamar know where they should be (in the Lakers' offense), ... I'm still learning where I'm supposed to be.

I was always a Laker fan - Magic Johnson, James Worthy, my main man Norm Nixon. Kobe Bryant's my favorite player. It would be the battle of Hollywood - it would be great for the city.

Kobe is missing out by not finding a way to become part of a system that involves giving to something larger than himself.

Kobe is a top-five player, and he proved it yesterday. I've watched Dirk, McGrady and other superstars take over games. When it happens it's amazing to watch.

Kobe is always a factor in the game. I don't think Golden State stopped him from scoring the ball. He just got other guys involved in the offense. It was a game Kobe didn't have to force the game until late.

Kobe helps me too, because if I'm ever lying back too much, him trying to get open or him fighting wakes me up. Kobe's game is like smelling salts. If you're lying back, he's going to get you up. He's the best player I've ever played with.

Kobe had to take some heat for that, as if he was the one who manufactured that (O'Neal) trade. All those things were made to look like there was a scapegoat in this situation, and there wasn't.

Kobe had a terrific game. We probably did a good job on him, actually -- after the way he started off. He made his foul shots down the stretch, but for 2 1-2 quarters, we did as good a job as you could ask for.

Kobe fought his way through it tonight. It was one of those games where the numbers of shots he took was too high, but he thought he was going to get fouled and he took the shots because he felt the pressure on him.

Kobe came out and played great basketball all around. I'd give him an A-plus.

Kobe Bryant is a great player. Maybe the best player in the league right now. He is that good.

I swear I seen Kobe run into a telephone booth, take off his Laker uniform and put on a Superman suit real quick before he went to work. There's no words to express the emotions that I was feeling.

I think it is an awesome feat what Kobe did the other night, and I tip my hat to him. The one word that comes to mind when I think about what he accomplished is SPECIAL.

I think women's basketball hinges on not just the play of, but the personalities of, its superstars. I think Courtney and Candace fit that bill. But as far as a head-to-head rivalry, they don't play the position. It's kind of like Kobe and Shaq. It's different. They're both really, really good, but they aren't going to guard each other.

I think that Kobe wants to win. He's a tremendous competitor, as fierce as anybody I've ever been around. I don't know Phil, I didn't read the book. But I noticed even after I was gone ... it's just like they got to have a soap opera.

I went to sleep watching my favorite player, Kobe Bryant. I just watched a lot of game tapes and (watched) how he shoots the ball with confidence.

Kobe was waiting for his game to get hot and it never happened, and we tried to force the ball into him and it cost us.

Kobe was the difference. In the second half, we came back and we competed. But against a good team and a great player, we just didn't play well enough to win.

Kobe was seen as this non-controversial, rather worldly good guy. He can rebuild his image, but it's never going to be the same that it was.

Kobe was leading us perfect tonight. Everybody expects him to come out and score 40 because it's the playoffs, but he did what a leader and general should do.

Kobe scored 81 points. I was asking the guys the other day, 'How do you score that many points in a game?' That's like scoring seven touchdowns.

Kobe played a game in which he really controlled the offense from his position. He really doesn't play guard very often. We had people open because he got double-teamed. In the first half, Cook hit his shots.

Kobe makes shots like that. We kept saying they were incredible shots and they were incredible shots for most people, but with Kobe I don't think they were incredible because he does things like that on an every-day basis.

Kobe is the ultimate competitor, so any time we can hold him in check, we're happy.

I saw Kobe cut to the ball, so I threw it to him. We blew another one. Same as the New Jersey game. We've got to find a way to win these games or we're going to be done April 19.

(Our game) has the best two teams playing. But it (isn't) the best two teams to write about or the best two teams to watch. Ain't no drama with our game, ain't no big story. (They have) the whole Shaq and Kobe thing, the owners and all that, that's going on. People want to see what's going to happen with all that.

Our understanding is that Kobe might not play because of the knee injury, ... We think he probably will. That decision will be made tomorrow based on how Kobe is feeling and how his knee feels prior to the game.

Some games you have to do the right thing basketball-wise to win and we can't seem to do that. We don't play a good offensive game and we can't win. That puts Kobe in a bind. He's got to get 35 or 40 points for us to win. We should be embarrassed. I know I am.

I was brought here to play defense, to chase the little guards around and to save his energy for the offensive side of the court. I wasn't expecting to shoot the ball. Of course, that's Kobe Bryant, the top player in the league right now. Who's going to tell him not to shoot?

I think he had really kind of made up his mind somewhere during the year that he was going to leave. I don't think I really recognized that.When I told him what kind of team I wanted, what kind of exciting basketball I wanted to play ... Of course Kobe wanted to play the same kind of basketball and that's how we got together.

I think he gave the ball up in various points of the year, and I think there's been a fine balance between guys stepping up and making shots and Kobe trusting his teammates. It hasn't got to the point where it's not happening, where I'm disappointed, but there's opportunities that still could be there that have to be exploited even more and we have to recognize that as a team.

I think Kobe Bryant is a player with enough moxie to go along with his talent that he'll adjust to whatever his role is. In fact, that's exactly what he said today.

That was something to behold -- it was another level. At halftime we were disturbed about the way we were playing. We came out, and Kobe just found a way to do everything.

That's what folks thought Kobe could become. It was such a shock to the system what happened in Colorado.

Most of them really aren't a factor. Even (Tracy) McGrady and Kobe (Bryant) didn't light it up their first year.

You can have all the talent in the world, but with the exception of Kobe and Shaq, if you don't get along you're not going to play well.

Wilt scoring 100, to me, that's the greatest thing ever done as far as an individual achievement in the game. I don't think you ever take anything away from that. But what Kobe did in the modern day era is unbelievable to me.

We really tried to guard him. On some days you can't stop a player. I mean, Kobe Bryant got 81 the other day.

We have watched a lot of film. When I was coming off the bench, other teams were not paying attention to me and now they are still not trying to play me. I think Kobe and Lamar are doing a great job passing the ball to me when I have a guy sealed.

Yeah, that puts them at an advantage I would say. So what I'll try to do is when he puts his four guys out there, I'll try to have combinations. I'll try to play Steve and Dirk together since they played together. And maybe I'll play Yao and T-Mac. So maybe we at least have four guys out there . . . two and two. And then throw in somebody else. . . . Maybe Kobe (Bryant); he's a whole team himself.

You know, $2 trillion is a lot. Even at his current pace, it would take Kobe Bryant more than 74 billion games to take 2 trillion shots.

The fact that we are appearing in two consecutive state finals is a tremendous accomplishment. Kobe will always be a part of our legacy. But I think we have proven there is some life after Kobe, and our kids are very proud of that.

We were relying on Kobe and Kobe couldn't shoot the ball because of a hand injury. He was just reluctant to shoot.

There has been a never ending quest for the next Michael Jordan ever since Jordan came along. The fact is there isn't another Michael Jordan out there. But the companies are hoping they find that in James. Kobe Bryant may be the best player in the NBA, but he's shown from the standpoint of selling shoes and apparel that he's not in same league as Michael Jordan.

We're not looking for Kobe to score 50 or 30 or 80. We're just looking for it to fit together. We want players to blend their talents together.

To me, right there, enough said - Kobe Bryant (third team), not acceptable.

We got in a situation where we were waiting for Kobe?s hand to get hot. We started trying to force it in to him and that hurt us. Kobe had a hard time chasing Dixon around screens.

We love Kobe when he's out there, but we all can play. We don't buy into that stuff about how we don't help Kobe out. We're all competitors and we're all professionals. That's why we're here.

Tonight, Kobe hit the big shot in the corner which he does all the time. And Kwame Brown got too many second-chance points and tip-ins because we were forced to help on guys. I think we played hard but not good enough.

Tonight, it didn't matter if he had 50, 40, 20 or 10. The idea was for us to win. It wasn't Kobe Bryant against us. It was the Lakers against Detroit.

This was a disgusting game for us tonight. We deserved to lose. Kobe was spectacular and we had no answer for him. You have to take your hat off to him.

To get rid of the damage, it would make all of the members of Team Kobe have a partial lobotomy. The information is basically in their heads.

You have to take your hat off to Kobe. Kobe hit some tough shots. We double-teamed him and I thought we were there and contesting the shots on the four jumpers he hit. Down the stretch, he won the game for them.

What happened to him, something like that is always going to haunt him. He can get some of it back, but it's not going to be where he used to be. They're going to make it hard to get back, but he's Kobe Bryant. He might take it back.

We had some dramatic plays down the stretch. Kobe stayed very well inside of what we were trying to do. We kind of died on the vine a couple of times when the shot clock was running down. Then we were able to find that penetrating pass. We were able to find a couple of things that worked for us.

Bruce is always awesome, it doesn't matter who (he's defending), Kobe or anybody else in the league, ... He's going to make them work for every point that they get. ... He was in (Bryant's) face every shot he took.

(A) total team effort tonight. We played like a totally different team. Kobe is an awesome player. He makes shots, gets fouls, fun to watch. He may have got 41 but we got the win.

Aside from Kobe (Bryant), he's probably the most recognizable sports figure in Southern California.

Elton is such a professional and works hard at what he does. He's not a flashy player like Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady. I don't know if people anymore appreciate the ethic he has.

Except for a short period at the end of World War II, I attended an elementary school affiliated to Kobe University from ages six to twelve and then moved on to Nada Middle and High School from ages twelve to eighteen. I enjoyed many out-door activities in my youth.

The traditional Fortune 500 companies have to steer clear (of Bryant). McDonald's, Sprite, they have the pick of the litter of who they can work with, and they don't have to work with athletes. I think he's probably out for good for Fortune 500 guys. They could get an emerging star who lacks the baggage and rap sheet Kobe has.

They almost made me get up and walk out of the building in the third quarter. They got it righted and played good defense to get back in the game. I knew that Kobe would find a way out there to help us win.

People can sit back and look at Kobe and emulate him all they want. But the fact is that the teams that play together and have consistency throughout their lineup in the scoring column are going to win more than lose.

As far as how effective Kobe is, that don't matter to me. That doesn't matter as long as we win. This is one that we needed. We're just trying to keep it rolling.

That's going to be his place in history. Right now, he's really focused and feels like it's his league. Before the 81 points, Kobe should have been getting his due as far as the MVP.

All ball. I had all ball. I had my hand on top of the ball and he just swung his hands everywhere. Kobe gets that call.

A lot of other teams just focus on Kobe. I just hang around on the weak side and nights like tonight, Kobe gives it up.

They played Kobe tough and a little harder than the refs wanted to see.

They had a game plan against Kobe that was effective, getting the ball out of his hands.

There's been heightened demand from the late night and morning talk shows as well as from fans seeking Kobe merchandise.

It seems like Kobe is barking at Steve Nash all the time. They're going at it, and it should be like that.

It was quite an exhibition for three quarters Kobe put on tonight. I've seen a few 60-point ballgames in my time, but none of them had been done by the third quarter.

It was quite an exhibition for three quarters Kobe put on. I've seen a few 60-point ballgames in my time, but none of them had been done by the third quarter.

I told Kobe that's the one area where I'll try not to disclose,

I told the guys that the team is going to double- and triple-team Kobe at the end. So he's not going to get the ball. Somebody else is going to have to step and make shots.

It's tough to boo somebody when everybody else is cheering. You can't root against Kobe and for the Lakers. It's contradictory.

It's tough to boo somebody when everybody else is cheering, ... You can't root against Kobe and for the Lakers. It's contradictory.

It's like God put Kobe here for us to watch him play basketball.