Kobe Bryant was a student of the game – he was always looking to hone his craft.
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There are not many players in this world who would want to lose. Even Kobe Bryant did not want to lose. He was a sore loser. That mentality was what got him 5 rings in 7 tries. But each time he lost, be it finals or a regular season game, he looked at the opportunity different.
He spoke about how losing allows the team to understand their failures, which otherwise would not have been known to them. The 5-time champion became a 5-time champion because he got to learn from his shortcomings. Get this man a ball and a whiteboard, and he will get you buckets and a championship.
In the latter years of his career, the kids he had to deal with did not understand the effort he put in to get to that stage. It may be the reason why he did not have any qualms kicking them during training, or snatching their Kobes away after a loss. Kobe was viewed as a pain in the butt, but only after his retirement did people understand the value he brought.
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Kobe Bryant won everything there is in the field of Basketball – he used those teachings in other fields as well
5 championships, multiple All-NBA selections, 1 MVP and the hearts of millions – A lot of people held the 6’6″ Kobe Bryant in their hearts. One of the reasons why was his mentality to not give up. The mamba mentality as his fans know it is a favourite. A lot of players have that edge, but Kobe was ready to go above and beyond.
But he also knew when to dissociate. He was fiercely competitive on the court, but he left his business when he got out of the gym. KB loved the game so much and learned so much from his competition. He used all of that learning and put his heart and soul into his coaching center, The Mamba Academy.
Not only in his academy, but he also used a lot of these learnings in his business ventures and his movie venture as well. Winning an Oscar right after retirement is downright crazy, but not for the Mamba. He knew how to win, and win big in all walks of life. He should have lived a full life, but as we fans would want, he should have lived longer.
