Kobe Bryant may be no more, but his wisdom and experience exist in spades – the Mamba mentality shall never die.
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They say Kings never die – their ideology lives on. That is what Kobe Bryant was, even if that nickname is for LeBron James. When asked who was the best player in the world, Kobe had a simple answer. He stated that he wanted to be the best player ever, but found peace when he wanted to become the best version of the player he could become.
Not Michael Jordan, not LeBron James, but the person who could lead by example – that was the number 1 player of all time. Everyone had their subjective idea of what greatness is, so there could never be one answer. A LeBron fan would never accept MJ is greater, and vice versa. They both have their merits, and how they influence another person to become better is what matters.
Individual accolades do not matter when the end goal of a team is to succeed as one. A championship crowns an incredible achievement, yes, but it also celebrates the efforts and sacrifices put by each and everyone involved. When Kobe decided to be the leader of that ideology, he became the best player in the world for many future stars.
Kobe Bryant was an inspiration to many during and after his playing days – his inspiration came from various sources
5 championships, 33,643 points, 6307 assists, and 7047 rebounds. A simple one-line resume of one of the greatest Basketball players of all time. Kobe Bryant took the game seriously. When he says seriously, he means obsessed with it. He took it to a point where he was practicing in PJs and a broken hand because he wanted to get better.
But all that burning desire had to stem from someplace – and that was himself. his burning desire to be the very best – the best there ever was was what drove him to the edges of lunacy. A borderline genius, but a lunatic too. But that was the attitude with which he started his career. Throughout his No. 8 phase, Kobe was a man who could not be stopped from picking a 1 v 1 against the best.
But then when he switched to 24, he realized there was a greater purpose than just being the best version of himself. A boss is someone who sits atop a throne to watch his lackeys move the ship forward, but a leader is someone who joins in rowing along with the workers. Kobe switched roles from boss to leader, and he had that itch finally scratched.
He played an important role in shaping players like Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Devin Booker, all of whom have experienced success in varying degrees.
