Kobe Bryant says he doesn’t play for your f***ing approval

Kobe Bryant has had some bad fourth quarters during the Western Conference semi-finals. But Kobe being Kobe, doesn’t care that people are laughing at his struggles or rooting for him to lose.

“I don’t give a [expletive] what you say, if I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, ‘Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.’ Well, [expletive] you.

“Because I don’t play for your [expletive] approval. I play for my own love and enjoyment of the game. And to win. That’s what I play for. Most of the time, when guys feel the pressure, they’re worried about what people might say about them. I don’t have that fear, and it enables me to forget bad plays and to take shots and play my game.”

The epitome of shaking it off and keeping it moving. Kobe says his ability to laugh at his mistakes is what separates him from other players.

“The fallout is always something that makes some guys hesitant,” Bryant said. “They’re thinking about their legacies, their reputations.”

Hmmmmmm, LeBron anyone? Just a thought.