Kobe Bryant has achieved all-time success as an NBA player and left an evergreen legacy behind him. However, unlike many great players, what separated Kobe from the rest of the pack was his confident personality and relentless attitude. The fans popularly refer to it as the ‘Mamba Mentality’. 21 days after retiring from the league in 2016, Kobe appeared for a sit-down hosted by the Milken Institute. During the interview, he gave us some invaluable insight into his philosophy on insecurities and self-doubt.
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This wasn’t, however, the only time Kobe addressed the topic of self-doubt. With Mamba Mentality becoming a force to reckon with, people from different walks of life have been excited to know more about it. His golden words on self-doubt were to embrace it but not capitulate to it. Everyone has self-doubt at some point, but the important thing is how you choose to respond to it.
Kobe Bryant drops some dimes on how to shoo away insecurities and self-doubt
As a guest at the Milken Institute, Kobe spoke to sports broadcaster Jim Gray following his retirement from the NBA in 2016. An interesting part of the conversation revolved around people’s insecurities and self-doubt and how to navigate them. Here is what Kobe had to say about it:
“When we have those doubts, understanding where those doubts come from in the first place. Once you understand that, really you can create anything you want.”
When asked about how he navigates his doubts, here is what he had to say:
“Doubt is such a strange thing. There will be times where you succeed and there will be times you will fail. So wasting your time doubting whether you are gonna be successful or not, is pointless…If you win, great! You gonna have to wake up the next day and do the journey all over again. If you lose, s*cks! But you have to wake up the next day and do it all over again anyway.”
Those were some pearls of wisdom dropped for the audience by the basketball legend. The world is witness to the success the five-time NBA Champion has achieved by embodying the above philosophy in his daily life. His teammates often talk about Kobe being the most committed player in practice. The Lakers legend’s mentality was unwavering to a fault. With Kobe’s tragic passing, it is safe to say that his ‘Mamba Mentality’ will forever be a part of his legacy.
Kobe’s enduring legacy
The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has been home to some of the best players in the league. However, Kobe Bryant still managed to dwarf almost every legend to put on Purple and Gold.
His quest to constantly try and improve himself through hard work and dedication has become a way of life for many budding athletes. In fact, the mindset is not limited to athletes. A lot of people from different walks of life have learned from the Mamba and have tried to adopt his philosophy in their day-to-day lives.
