The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant. Quotes II

-LeBron is bigger than me in height and width, but I enjoyed hitting, and getting hit, a lot more than him. That impacted our head-to-head matchups.
-If you want to win a championship, you, the star, have to take on the responsibility of guarding the other team’s best player. I always prided myself on guarding the best.
-In turn, I loved showing him (Westbrook) my full arsenal of weapons. One of them was mental: knowing my opponent. I knew he was competitive, as much then as he is now, so I knew he would bite at the opportunity to block my shot. So I’d throw him a hard pump fake and either get fouled or go right by him.
-Pau Gasol was like a brother to me. Over the course of my career, I suited up with dozens upon dozens of players. Among all of them, it’s safe to say that Pau was my favorite teammate ever.
-What separates great players from all-time great players is their ability to self-assess, diagnose weaknesses, and turn those flaws into strengths.
-The game provided me with every opportunity that I ever imagined it would, and along the way I learned a innumerable amount. I’m not just speaking about on the court, either. Without hoops, I would not understand how to create or write, I would not understand human nature, nor would I know how to lead.