Kobe Bryant Everybody Quotations

We needed a challenge like this, ... I think we did a good job keeping our poise when they jumped out to an early lead. Everybody just kind of stayed with it.

I had in my mind that it was just going to be a really sad sight, ... But when you walk in you see that everybody was just real spirited. There was a lot of energy in there -- a lot of resolve and determination to bounce back.

We're not worried about getting him more touches. We're worried about winning the game and getting everybody better looks.

His strength is really to get everybody on the same page, ... He's masterful at doing it. We're just going to follow his lead. Anybody who wins that many championships puts the opposition in a defensive position.

I think that'll come as camp continues to unfold. You have to have a system, you have to have a structure, everybody falls in line. The thing about this offense is every position is interchangeable.

Our spacing was good, which made it very difficult to corral me. When they did, we were able to swing the ball and get open opportunities for everybody else.

They did a good job defensively. They were just crowding me and trapping me every time I came off a pick-and-roll or when I was in transition. We were playing so well as a team. Everybody was contributing. We had a nice lead. There was really no reason for me to push it or force shots.

I like watching the Pistons. It looks familiar to me. Everybody is on the same page. For me, that's entertaining basketball.

In the second half they looked to stop everybody else, and I got going. I picked up the momentum and was able to break the game open.

I don't know if it was the days off or whatever, but we just weren't in rhythm. You can probably blame it on the thong Shaq had. It kind of traumatized everybody in the locker room. But we'll be all right. We'll bounce back the next game.

It's such a learning curve. Once you start getting it, it usually comes at the end of the season. Everybody is pretty much in rhythm and in tune with one another, and then you start playing better.

I don't miss 15 games because of a toe injury that everybody knows wasn't that serious in the first place.