Kobe Bryant Birthday 2021: Quotes From The Late Black Mamba To Remember Him

Kobe Bryant would have celebrated his 43 birthday on Monday. The legendary NBA player’s name was synonymous with the Los Angeles whose talent earned him a massive fanbase that often referred to him as Black Mamba.

Bryant, whose full name was Kobe Bean Bryant, was a five-time NBA Championships winner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and an Academy Award winner.

He was born on Aug. 23, 1978, and died on Jan. 20, 2020, in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others.

Check out some inspirational quotes from Bryant, compiled from AZ Quotes and Brainy Quote, in honor of the late athlete’s birthday and legacy.

1. “Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.”

2. “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

3. “The most important thing, the thing that unites all of us, is that we can inspire and challenge one another to be better.”

4. “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.”

5. “I never tried to prove anything to someone else. I wanted to prove something to myself.”

6. “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.”

7. “If you want to make history, you have to do historic things.”

8. “Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise.”

9. “You can’t be held captive by the fear of failure or the fear of what people may say.”

10. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. No matter what the injury - unless it’s completely debilitating - I’m going to be the same player I’ve always been. I’ll figure it out. I’ll make some tweaks, some changes, but I’m still coming.”