What separates great players from all-time great players is their ability to self-assess, diagnose weaknesses, and turn those flaws into strengths.
One of the qualities that has made Kobe so successful, and always will, is his attention to detail. He always used to tell us: if you want to be a better player, you have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more.
Kobe knew that to be the best you need a different approach from everyone else.
From the beginning, I wanted to be the best. I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best. I never needed any external forces to motivate me.
I have ‘like minds.’ You know, I’ve been fortunate to play in Los Angeles, where there are a lot of people like me. Actors. Musicians. Businessmen. Obsessives. People who feel like God put them on earth to do whatever it is that they do. Now, do we have time to build great relationships? Do we have time to build great friendships? No. Do we have time to socialize and to hang out aimlessly? No. Do we want to do that? No. We want to work. I enjoy working.
Rest at the end, not in the middle.
You have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light.
Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them.
Some people, after all, enjoy looking at a watch; others are happier figuring out how the watch works.
The key, though, is being aware of how you’re feeling and how you need to be feeling. It all starts with awareness.
The only way I was able to pick up details on the court, to be aware of the minutiae on the hardwood, was by training my mind to do that off the court and focusing on every detail in my daily life. By reading, by paying attention in class and in practice, by working, I strengthened my focus. By doing all of that, I strengthened my ability to be present and not have a wandering mind.
Walk until the darkness is a memory and you become the sun on the next traveler’s horizon.
One of the main takeaways was that you have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light. Meaning:.
Have a good time. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.
If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail. Pain doesn’t telle you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back beacuse it knows if you continue you will change” -.
I think the definition of greatness is to inspire the people next to you.
I never felt outside pressure. I knew what I wanted to accomplish, and I knew how much work it took to achieve those goals. I then put in the work and trusted in it. Besides, the expectations I placed on myself were higher than what anyone expected from me.
Simply put, good coaches make sure you know how to use both hands, how to make proper reads, how to understand the game. Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them. That’s the same at every level.
Every team needs either a confrontational star player or coach. In San Antonio, Gregg Popovich was that guy and Tim Duncan was not. In Golden State, Draymond Green is the confrontational one; Steve Kerr is not. For us, Phil was not that type of person, so I provided that force. You always have to have that balance and counterbalance, and Phil and I were perfectly suited for each other in that way.
You have to enter every activity, every single time, with a want and need to do it to the best of your ability.