National Basketball Association

The 10 most revealing quotes from Kobe Bryant's 'Muse'

Published Mar. 4, 2015 1:56 a.m. ET

foxsports

On the moment after his injury:

"I remember feeling the silence. I remember feeling the fear. I'm like, 'This could be a wrap.' And that's what the silence was. It was like, 'This could really be a wrap for you.' "

On creating his alter ego:

"I had to organize things. So I created the 'Black Mamba'. So Kobe has to deal with these issues, all the personal challenges. The Black Mamba steps on the court and does what he does. I'm destroying everybody that steps on the court."

On becoming one of the greatest:

"The most important thing is you must put everybody on notice that you're here and you are for real. I'm not a player that is just going to come and go. I'm not a player that is going to make an All-Star team one time, two times. I'm here to be an all-time great. Once I made that commitment and said, 'I want to be one of the greatest ever', then the game became everything for me."

On getting back on the court after personal issues:

"I had all this pent-up frustration that I just needed to let out. It was an avalanche, man. There was nothing that was going to get in the way. There was nothing that was going to stop me. ... It's not about you. It's not about anybody else. You're not making me go. I'm driving this thing and you just so happen to be the person in the way that may be demolished in the process."

On his muses:

"The challenge wasn't only to win one, it was to win multiple rings. To be able to sit at the same lunch table with my muses, Michael, Magic. I wanted to be able to sit down at the same table with them and belong there. And I'm very proud to be able to say I can do that."