One of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball, Kobe Bryant’s skill set, work ethic, and competitive zeal remain unmatched. With a decorated career spanning over two decades, the Black Mamba was regarded as the closest thing to Michael Jordan, given the similarities in their game.
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It’s no secret that Kobe possessed a competitive zeal, almost impossible to replicate by the members surrounding him. Synonymous with the term Mamba Mentality, with the late Lakers legend having admitted to being inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill.
“Mamba mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most. It’s the ultimate mantra for the competitive spirit. It started just as a hashtag that came to me one day, and it’s grown into something athletes — and even non-athletes — embrace as a mindset.”
Via: Showbiz CheatSheet
Of the opinion that hard work outweighed talent every time, Kobe spent hours improving his craft. The five-time champion had a unique workout regime called the 666 workouts that had him work 6-days a week, 6-hours a day, and 6-months a year.
In an old clip, while stating the significance of hardwood, Kobe revealed how he was allergic to lazy people.
Laziness was Kobe Bryant’s biggest pet peeve.
Striving to be the hardest worker in the room, one can imagine Kobe having no space for incompetence. In the past, we’ve heard stories of how the eighteen-time All-Star often feuded with his teammates for not demonstrating a similar hunger to win, whether it was the likes of Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard.
In the clip below, Kobe explains how there was no room for laziness around him.
“If I got to fight to get you in the gym, that’s a problem. You want players that are gym rats, players that want to be in the gym that want to work, and then from there you build on top of that, but if you’re lazy man, I don’t wanna talk to you. I don’t wanna deal with you. You gonna make me feel dumber, you know, you’re gonna lower my level. There’s plenty of teams in here where you’ll fit right in.”
Kobe once revealed how he would work on 3-4 hours of sleep, adding that it was something he would never advocate.
Kobe Bryant’s decorated career.
A Hall of Famer, Kobe’s resume boasted five titles, two Finals MVPs, one league MVP, 15 All-NBA selections, 12 All-Defensive selections, and 18 All-Star selections.
An epitome of work ethic, the Mamba inspired an entire generation, including current superstars such as Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, and Kyrie Irving.
Also read: Kobe Bryant Olympic Medals were an overlooked part of his legacy
