8 Quotes from Kobe Bryant that Define What is The Mamba Mentality
You don’t have to be a big basketball fan to be a fan of Kobe Bryant. He’s a sports icon that transcends beyond just basketball. As we mourn his loss, as well as the loss of his daughter and the others whose untimely death shocked the world yesterday, I am compelled to also memorialize his Mamba Mentality.
Unquestionably, Kobe Bryant was on the cusp of being one of the top mindset and mental conditioning proponents in sports. His mental preparation and mindset is legendary. What’s more, he was only at the tip of the iceberg with sharing his Mamba Mentality philosophies with the world.
The 8 quotes from Kobe Bryant below are just a taste of what it is that defines the Mamba Mentality. For more, I recommend you grab a copy of his book: The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.
What is the Mamba Mentality in 8 Quotes from Kobe Bryant
- Passionate
“If you have to get up every single morning and remind yourself how hard you need to work, you probably need to choose a different profession…That shouldn’t be there. I wake up in the morning excited to get to it. If I’m not training I’m missing it. If I’m not watching the game of basketball I miss it. There’s no place I’d rather be…If you have that feeling then you’re truly doing what God has put you on this earth to do.” - Meticulous
“The mindset isn’t about seeking a result–it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life. I do think that it’s important, in all endeavors, to have that mentality.” - Ambitious
“If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out. That’s totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody.” - Consistent
“Over the years, my routine might have changed some but my philosophy never did. If something has worked for other greats before you, and if something is working for you, why change it up and embrace some new fad? Stick with what works, even if it’s unpopular.” - Audacious
“I wasn’t scared of missing, looking bad, or being embarrassed. That’s because I always kept the end result, the long game, in my mind. I always focused on the fact that I had to try something to get it, and once I got it, I’d have another tool in my arsenal. If the price was a lot of work and a few missed shots, I was OK with that.” - Aggressive
“Understanding the importance of contact and physicality is only half the battle. You have to love it, and I did. You have to love having your jersey held and holding their jersey back. You have to love getting hit once so you could hit them back twice. You had to love every last push, shove, and elbow. Understand and embrace that mentality. Once you do, you are ready to win.” - Relentless
“People make a huge deal out of clutch shots. Thing is, it’s just one shot. If you make a thousand shots a day, it’s just one of a thousand. Once you’re hitting that many, what’s one more? That was my mentality from day one.” - Authentic
“I liked challenging people and making them uncomfortable. That’s what leads to introspection and that’s what leads to improvement. You could say I dared people to be their best selves.”