Perhaps the most interesting quote from the article was when Simers asked Bryant about the possibility of not winning another championship. As everyone knows, another title would mean six for Kobe, tying him with Michael Jordan and putting him ahead of Magic Johnson as the all-time leader in franchise history.
What was Bryant’s response?
“I can’t see that happening,” he says.
Of course not.
It is well known around the league that Kobe, already considered one of the all-time greats, is mentally tougher than most NBA players–both past and present. At another point in the interview Kobe stated that winning takes precedence over everything else. And sometimes that makes Bryant do irrational things (like take 40 shots in a game), but for the most part it’s one of the reasons Kobe has been so successful throughout his entire career.
So while we don’t expect Bryant to say anything else, it’s always fun to be reminded just how intense Bryant is, and how confident he is even with a team that’s sitting at 20-26 and four games out of a playoff spot. While you may believe Bryant or not, there’s no doubt in his mind he’s not leaving this game without another championship. And that in itself is something to talk about.