In his book “The Mamba Mentality,” professional athlete Kobe Bryant summarizes the factors that contributed to his success, including his work ethic, ability to bounce back from setbacks, and balancing time with his loved ones.
Author:
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He demonstrated loyalty throughout his twenty-year playing career with only the team that drafted him, the Los Angeles Lakers. During his basketball career, he was able to rack up two Olympic gold medals, five NBA championships, eighteen All-Star selections, and getting the MVP of the All-Star Game named after him following his fourth victory.
Though tragically on January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, he was only 41. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna was one of the eight other victims of the catastrophe.
Meaning of the Mamba Mentality:
Kobe Bryant came up with the term “Mamba Mentality” to represent the dedication it takes to not only become better at what you’re doing, but also to be a better person. Becoming the best versions of yourself every day requires trusting the effort and process that got you towards this point.
Outline of the Book:
There are three sections in the book. The first section consists of both Bryant’s championship-winning teammate Pau Gasol and his longtime coach Phil Jackson sharing their perspective on Bryant.
The “Process” segment part provides us a story about Bryant’s life in the league while he isn’t playing the sport he loves. This section describes the rituals that Bryant performed during the course of his 20-year career in the NBA and how he worked with Nike to design his signature shoe. Discover what moments caused him to be mentally and physically exhausted during his basketball career.
His confession that, had he chosen to attend college, he would have attended Duke was a significant surprise to the public at the time. Where, with legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, it might of completely altered the course of his career.
The third and last section discussed the daily craft Bryant had to practice in order to succeed in the NBA level.
Book About:
“The Mamba Mentality” gives you a perspective on how Bryant perfected the game through adversity with the help of his mindset. Bryant spent a lot of time talking about his mindset before and after games, his routines, his opponents, and how he spent his time.
The book gives insight into his up and down relationship with his all-time great partner Shaquille O’Neal. As well as the highs and lows of his career, from the highs of scoring 81 points in a game to the defeat in the 2008 NBA Finals.
In particular, he was committed to perfecting his skills so that he would never lose on the largest platform. He would serve as the finals MVP twice while guiding two teams to victories in 2009 and 2010. Though would hit a plateau, as he grew older, he sustained more injuries in games, which prevented him from ever being the same performer he was at 34 and ultimately caused him to retire in 2015.
The book lists all the numbers he achieved throughout his career, and it took a lot of work to get to that point, requiring early mornings and late evenings. He also offers insight into how he managed his family with the hardships of being invested in basketball, which included not getting enough sleep.
Bryant always emphasized the importance of perseverance and hard work in order to never experience defeat once more. That is what enabled him to become an all-time great while boosting his confidence as his level of comfort increased. This book is a timeless classic because it shows how to master a skill despite any obstacles you may encounter, which is why most respect the importance of Kobe Bryant in our society.
