Quotes About Kobe

Growing up in L.A., every kid wants to play for the Lakers. As a kid I went to their championship parades, bought a Kobe jersey - I went to the gym and made everybody call me Kobe - loved Shaq, loved the three-peat.

Kobe is worth every penny, and I'd never had any doubt that he'd contribute to this team.

I think nobody should rash things and try to find the successor of Kobe Bryant.

I played against Kobe a lot when I was in high school during the summers, even in college, just being that guy in L.A. coming up. He always gave me advice here and there, and even the smallest things stuck with me. I watched every single thing that Kobe did, every game, every move. He made me a student of the game.

I think Phil Jackson started that feud. It happened many times that after team practice he would say, 'Kobe said this about Shaq, and Shaq said that about Kobe... ' We couldn't believe how could that happen, because just the day before we saw them together, jumping on one another.

I'm blessed just making it to the NBA. That was my first goal and dream. Playing with Kobe and Shaq and for a coach like Phil Jackson, and then going to play with guys like Jordan and Jerry Stackhouse, it's just a crazy experience.

I grew up - obviously I'm from Philly, where Kobe is from, so we grew up idolizing Kobe. He meant everything to us.

I'm a fan of Kobe and LeBron. People always try to make me pick one or the other, but I think they're both great. They both deliver.

Kobe is probably an idol for so many players. He was such a great player so you wanted to be like Kobe. He's a legend that never dies.

I like Kobe, I like the way he approaches the game. He's a warrior.

Everyone 'watches Kobe when the Lakers play.

The Kobe craze really annoyed me. Most of the practitioners had no real understanding of the product and were abusing it and exploiting it in terrible and ridiculous ways. Kobe beef should not be used in a hamburger. It's completely pointless.

Obviously, Kobe is one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

Regardless, the growing chorus of Laker fans who wanted more Kobe and less Eddie was confounding, because the third-year guard was playing the best ball of his lifetime. But Bryant was on the verge of legitimate greatness—a greatness that Jones (talent be damned) would never touch.

Kobe is one of the best scorers in NBA history, but I don't have as much trouble with him in the post as I do with Carmelo.

Kobe was my favorite player from just the way he went about competition. He was so skilled, but his mindset and his approach were really what I took away from him more than anything. How tactical, passionate and detailed he is about the game - he really loved the game.

When Kobe talks, I shut up and stay out of his way.

Part of the reason why Kobe Bryant is such a big inspiration to me is because he was shipped off to the Lakers right out of high school. He went from English class to the Great Western Forum.

I was in Philadelphia when Kobe was a senior in high school and he used to come to all our practices and I would work him out.

When you think about Kobe it's, 'No excuse. Nothing can put your mind off what you love to do.' It's the Mamba mentality, for sure.

I always wanted to play with Kobe Bryant. I used to tease him all the time. Every time I was a free agent, I was like, 'What's up, bro? You got a chance to get the pit that you need. You feel me? This is your chance.'

Kobe has a different temperament than me. We're both competitive, but he was much more outspoken. I would let anything roll off me. Nothing bothered me. I never complained.

The thing is I'm with Nike and I don't want to wear any other player's shoe. No Giannis or LeBron - I'm not going to wear those, and it narrows what you can wear. But with the Kobe's, who cares because Kobe is Kobe. You can wear his shoe because it's Kobe. They look great, the feel great and it represents something.

Kobe Bryant is a terrific offensive rebounder.