🎈(#10) What Is Mamba Mentality?

Read Time: 5 Minutes

Message from the author:

This one is a little different to the previous MAKER issues.

In 2016, the city of Los Angelese declared August 24th - Kobe Day post his retirement from the NBA.

As we have only recently moved into September - I thought I would take some time to pay tribute to a legend and also provide a mini case study on his basketball and life philosophy- The Mamba Mentality.

If you are into high performance and the mindset behind what it takes to be great, you will enjoy this one.

RIP - KOBE BRYANT “THE BLACK MAMBA” 1978 - 2020

Zero Points.

At the age of 11 years old, Kobe played his first season whilst living in Italy where his father was playing professional basketball post his NBA career.

During this season, Kobe struggled to get open and sink a ball.

Not a little outside shot, a layup or even a free throw.

Zero!

Now, I find this amazing. I am not surprised as he was only new to playing the sport - but this is what got me thinking about writing this issue.

Hearing this, showed me that there was something we could all relate to.

And this is the point, Kobe wasn’t a god like superhero born with natural gifts.

There is a drive and way of life that had taken this young kid learning a sport, to what we know him for today.

For this mini case study, it’s what happens between the age of 11 to 18 that you get a glimpse of a young man, figuring out what it takes to be great and the foundations to the Mamba Mentality.

Zero to NBA

How does someone go from scoring zero points as a beginner at the age of 11 to playing in the NBA just seven years later?

The mindset of hard work and perseverance that’s how.

He knew early on that the other kids were naturally bigger and more talented than him.

So, he chose to outwork them.

With the commitment to work hard, he continued to develop his skills and began to see results quickly.

By his second season he started scoring points and he noticed that the skills he was practicing in the off season was starting to make sense.

Maybe… just maybe, the hard work he was putting was starting to pay off.

By the age 14, Kobe and his family moved back to the United States from Italy where he continued to play and develop his skills.

At this time, Kobe went through a growth spurt.

Now… you add this height, with new skills, upgraded talents and his work ethic - you start to see a young athlete emerging.

Just three years on, Kobe was being recognized as the best high school player in the state of Pennsylvania.

Crazy right? Within three years, he went from a novice to a top high school baller.

There was one thing bothering him though.

His teammates and people around him - labelled him as a privileged soft kid because of who is father was and their assumption of his upbringing.

Instead of letting this shake his confidence, he used it as fuel to work even harder. He now wanted to prove a point.

Whilst others were going to parties or relaxing between games and trainings, he was working out, honing his skills and studying the game.

This is when the obsession for the game started to kick in.

As a high school senior, Kobe was ranked 57th among the top high school players in the country.

Whilst the normal route was to go to college, he had other plans in mind.

He backed himself and placed his name into the NBA Draft.

At just 17 years of age, Kobe was selected 13th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets who immediately traded him to the LA Lakers (Chalotte must have been kicking themselves years later).

By 18 - he became the youngest player in NBA history to play a game in the league.

Wow!

Sometimes we can get caught up in seeing the end result.

We admire someone like Kobe Bryant and want to achieve greatness like him. But are we willing to do what it takes to get there?

As you can see, from a young age he had faced adversity and doubt, he was never the gifted individual, he was never the first pick, and he never had anything handed to him.

He had to earn it.

Not knowing this at the time, he was starting to form the foundations of what we now call the Mamba Mentality.

Let’s go over some key highlights of his 20-year career in the NBA.

Rare Air

A 20-season career within the most competitive basketball league in the world is no small feat.

By the end of his career, his name was now in conversations with the greats - Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, just to name a few, his legacy and impact on the game will now live on forever.

Kobe had a student mindset. If you listen to interviews, he was constantly asking the greats questions. When he could he was studying footage - not just games, but how certain individuals moved, he wanted to know every detail.

Let’s use Michael Jordan for example. He emulated MJs game down to a sweet science - almost identical.

If you get a chance, I encourage you to watch this video of Kobes game which transitions into MJs game - it is crazy! - Watch Here

To wrap up this section, here is a list of Kobe Bryant’s key achievements across his 20-year career:

• Youngest player in history at the time to play in the NBA.

• Five NBA Championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 & 2010)

• 18-time NBA All-Star

• NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008

• Two-time NBA Finals MVP for 2009 & 2010

• Scoring Titles: He led the league in scoring for two seasons.

• Numerous All-NBA and All-Defensive team selections. Was consistently recognized as one of the best players at both ends of the court.

• Current All-Time Scoring list: Kobe ranks 4th above Michael Jordan who is ranked 5th

• 2007 Slam Dunk Contest Champion

• Won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA

• Iconic Moments such as: 81 points in a single game or his 60-point final NBA game.

For those that aren’t into basketball - just know that this is not a standard career in the NBA. This is a career that only legends are made of.

Not bad for a kid that was never the first choice.

As mentioned previously - this does not happen by accident or luck.

Let’s dive into the mindset stuff.

Mamba Mentality Defined

What is Mamba Mentality?

Defined and summarized as a relentless work ethic and mindset focused on continuous self-improvement, determination, and resilience in pursuing excellence in basketball and life.

One of my all-time favorite players, Allen Iverson, sums up Kobes's mindset in one simple statement during an interview.

“I am not Kobe. Kobe was something else. When we were at the club partying…That motherf*cker was in the gym. That’s what separated him from a whole lotta dudes, including myself.”

As you can see - the mindset and work ethic he started building between the ages of 11 to 14 stayed with him into his professional career.

He had seen the results of hard work, and overtime developed a way of life, fine tuning it to a point that separated him from even the best players in the world.

Mamba Mentality - The 5 Pillars

Below are the five pillars to the Mamba Mentality explained in my own words.

1. Passion.

   This is your why, your drive, the reason you said you would, the reason you wake up early, the reason you lean into discomfort, the reason you push through even when it gets hard. Passion is your fuel.

2. Obsessed.

   This word can have a negative stigma to it. But if you relate this to your goals, it can be the difference between being good and becoming great. Obsession is the endless pursuit, every thought is preoccupied and focused on the one thing - to become X. This isn’t for everyone, but for people like Kobe and many other legendary individuals… this is the only way.

3. Relentless.

   When I think of relentless, I think of the word “hustle” on steroids. Being relentless means, you are fierce and show no signs of yielding. It has an aggressive nature to it.. When they say people have that killer instinct, this is what is behind that.

4. Resilient.

   If your passion is what drives you, then resilience is what you need to get back up or push through discomfort when the universe throws challenges at you. Resilience is the fighting spirit needed when there is no end in sight. How long can you handle the heat or stay in the dark?

5. Fearless.

   To become fearless, you need to become confident within yourself. When others doubt you, you can choose to believe them or take the leap and back yourself. Being fearless you respect your human response to fear, the difference is that moment of choice and that choice is to go forward.

Final Closing

This lifestyle that Kobe lived isn’t for everyone.

The average person isn’t aiming to become the best athlete in the world.

But the mindset and lifestyle is really fascinating.

Reading, watching and listening to those who have faced adversity to then go on to accomplish greatness just shows what human beings are capable of.

Whilst you may not be looking to take over the world, maybe there is something within this issue (even just one thing) that you have resonated with.

This one thing could be that missing piece you have been searching for in order take over your own world, your reality, your goals or your dreams.

If you could…

Please go the MAKER homepage »» here, copy the link and share with a friend.

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End of another issue.

A different one this time - but hopefully you got something out of it.

As I have mentioned before, just showing up and “doing the thing” more often than not will move you closer to your goals.

One question to ask yourself this week.

Are you working as hard as you can to move the needle? be honest with yourself here.

Until next week fam!

JC