Kobe Bryant’s Formula to Success
The breakdown of Kobe Bean Bryant’s mentality.
“My vertical was a 40, wasn’t a 46 or a 45. My hands are big, but they weren’t massive. I was quick, but not insanely quick. I was fast, but not ridiculously fast. I had to rely on skill, angles and studying the game more”.- Black Mamba (Aka Kobe Bryant)
Kobe, freakin Bryant. One of the greatest athletes of all time! An effective scorer, Bryant won five championship rings and was named MVP with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant had also surpassed Michel Jordan on the NBA-all-time scoring list, and eventually went on to finish his career with a 60-point game! Off the court, Kobe Bryant was just as dominant. After producing his first film named, “Dear Basketball”, he won an Academy Award for the Best Animated Short Film. Considering his many achievements on and off the court, there is no doubt that Kobe Bryant was a beast. But how was he able to dominate every field? What magic pill did Bryant take? Kobe Bryant calls it the Mamba Mentality.
Obsession and Purpose
“Trivial things weren’t going to pull my attention. I had a purpose. I wanted to be one of the best basketball players to ever play, and anything that was outside of that lane I didn’t have time for”.-Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 to his mother Pamela Bryant and father, Joe Bryant. From a young age seeing his father play in the NBA, Kobe Bryant fell in love with basketball. Watching great players like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson had also deeply inspired him. Bryant was a natural curious kid. He would watch great NBA players and ask himself if he could get to that level. When Bryant reached the young age of 13, he had made a significant promise to himself. He told himself that he wanted to be one of the greatest basketball players and would do anything to get there. From then on, he became obsessed with the game. He became obsessed with the idea of playing in the NBA and winning. He watched NBA games over and over again, studied other players, and was determined to learn more about the game. One incident particularly showed how invested he was in the game. Each year rankings from the Streets Smith Magazine came out. This magazine would rank the best young basketball players in the nation. When Kobe Bryant was young, he was ranked 57 on that list. The competitive player he was, Bryant hunted each of the players ranked better than him. He found out who they were, what teams they played for so that when he traveled to their school, he could specifically target them, and eventually defeat them. This was how obsessed Kobe Bryant was for basketball.
Being obsessed with your dreams and goals is a crucial aspect of Mamba Mentality. For anyone to achieve greatness they must be fully committed and immersed into what they want, and Kobe Bryant is a great example of that. You must want what you want as much as you want to live. They’re needs to be a significant reason for doing what you do. Oftentimes, people want success for wealth, but that is not a sustainable purpose. When people work for wealth it is inevitable to give up when times are tough, and so I encourage everyone to have a meaningful purpose when working for success.
Insane Self-Belief
“Michael [Jordan] is a great basketball player, but I’m Kobe Bryant”.
Kobe Bryant had an insane amount of self-belief. He knew who he was and knew that he could accomplish whatever it is he wanted. He didn’t need the media telling him anything, whether it be positive or negative. Bryant’s self-confidence leveraged into how he played the game, and it transformed him into a different beast. Not much needs to be said on Bryant’s self-belief and confidence. What he has already done, speaks volumes. I can’t sit here and write about it, just watch one of his games and you’ll sense his self-belief from a mile away. Self-belief is not talk, rather it is action. You can easily sense the difference between fake confidence and true confidence, and Bryant had the most genuine confidence.
Self-belief can transform you, just the way it transferred Kobe Bryant. Believe in yourself, trust yourself! Know that you can do whatever it is that you want, and you can achieve your dreams. Despite what anyone tells you, stay true to yourself and live up to your own expectations. Self-belief is what takes talent and hard work to the next level.
Killer Work Ethic
“Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses” -Kobe Bryant
Everybody who knew Kobe Bryant, knew that he worked the hardest and the smartest. His hard work and intelligence took his athletic skills to the next level. Bryant mentioned, “Confidence comes from preparation. When the game is on the line, I’m not asking myself to do something I haven’t done a thousand times before”. His self-belief and confidence came as a result of the work he put into his game. Notice how work ethic and self-belief is connected. The more he worked on his game, the more confident he became in his skills. This is a very simple formula, yet many can’t apply to their lives. Kobe Bryant truly had a killer work ethic, and I encourage you to learn and watch more of his interviews.
Final Breakdown
The Mamba Mentality can be broken down into three parts:
1. Obsession with your dream and goals
2. Self-belief and confidence
3. A killer work ethic
All three parts are interconnected if you haven’t noticed. It all starts with the obsession and purpose you have with your dream. Then, you must have the self-belief which allows you to execute on your goals. But where does this self-belief come from? It comes as a result of the work you put in. You won’t suddenly become confident in your abilities by doing nothing! This three step process is the Mamba Mentality.
Although Kobe Bean Bryant has passed, his legacy continues. May he rest in peace. He is a true legend!
