This week, athletes across the world of sport are mourning Kobe Bryant, one of the best professional basketball players in history and an iconic sports figure for his legendary dedication to his craft and his self-styled “Mamba Mentality” in key moments. Bryant died this week in a helicopter crash, prompting an outpouring of tributes and respect from athletes in every sport imaginable.

Bryant’s athletic mentality can easily be applied to the sport of swimming. Here are our favorite quotes from Bryant:

MAKING SACRIFICES FOR GREATNESS

“There’s a choice we have to make as people, as individuals, if you want to be great at something. You have to make the inherent sacrifices that come along with that. Family time, hanging out with your friends… We all can be masters at our craft. But you have to make sacrifices that come along with making that decision.”

• From a 2015 CBS Sports documentary titled “Kobe Bryant’s Muse”

DEALING WITH SETBACKS, INJURIES, DEFEATS

“Be sad. Be mad. Be frustrated. Scream. Cry. Sulk. When you wake up you will think it was just a nightmare only to realize it’s all too real. You will be angry and wish for the day back, the game back THAT play back. But reality gives nothing back and nor should you.”

• From a 2017 Instagram post encouraging Gordon Hayward after a gruesome leg injury

BEING A LEADER

“To be an effective leader, you have to be a really good listener and not to what’s being said, but to what’s not being said, you know. You have to be really observant. That was a big transition for me. I went from being a scorer… to being a leader. And that meant putting others first. That means not worrying about are you in rhythm, are you playing well in this game, are you ready to go, to being, are they ready? What can I do to help them be ready?”

• From a 2018 pep talk with Alabama’s football program

NEVER BEING INTIMIDATED

“My mind doesn’t work that way. It’s something that’s never even entered my thought process. The last time I was intimidated was when I was 6 years old in karate class. I was an orange belt and the instructor ordered me to fight a black belt who was a couple years older and a lot bigger. I was scared s—less. I mean, I was terrified and he kicked my ass. But then I realized he didn’t kick my ass as bad as I thought he was going to and that there was nothing really to be afraid of. That was around the time I realized that intimidation didn’t really exist if you’re in the right frame of mind.”

• From a 2013 ESPN interview

AVOIDING THE FEAR OF FAILURE OR CRITICISM

You’ve got to step up and play, man. You can’t worry about criticism. You can’t worry about failure. You really can’t worry about that stuff. You’ve got to go out and figure that out and play and do the best you can, and whatever happens, happens. You can’t be held captive by the fear of failure or the fear of what people may say.”

• From a 2014 ESPN story

DEALING WITH SELF-DOUBT

“I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I’m like, ‘My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don’t have it. I just want to chill.’ We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.”

• Per, INC.com

REFLECTING, BUT ONLY AS A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD

“I’m reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose.”

• Per GoalCast.com

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