Kobe came into the NBA with a desire and talent to become one of the greatest players of all time. He achieved that goal through his dedication and perseverance. The opportunity to play for the Lakers, a historic franchise, gave him an audience and a forum, but his level of success came entirely from within.”
-- Phil Jackson, Kobe's Former Coach (Introduction)

Importance: This quote introduces readers to a key point made throughout the book. This is the sense that Kobe took full responsibility for his success, for defining and living up to his potential. Without doing so in words, this quote introduces a key component of the so-called Mamba Mentality, the sense of self-definition and self-determination that fueled him throughout his career.

If you really want to be great at something, you have to truly care about it. If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of...
-- Kobe Bryant (Part 1)