Kobe Bryant was never one to hide his unique mindset and secret to success from the world at large. Back in 2019, the Lakers legend made an appearance on the Art of Charm podcast. During the sit-down, when asked how he approached the long seasons of the NBA, Kobe admitted that he saw every season as his own Mount Everest. Revealing what he kept atop his mountain ahead of every season, the Mamba explained how every mountain is made up of countless steps, and how he always kept his eyes glued to nothing but the next step.
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Bryant’s ‘Mamba Mentality’ is now famous across the world. Referring to a state of mind that enhances focus to the extreme, this mindset has been used by many in their everyday lives as well to terrific results. However, despite the focused and ruthless perception of him, Kobe was no stranger to self-doubt. Once speaking on the topic, the following is what Bryant had to say on the matter:
“We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.”
Kobe Bryant once explained how he viewed every season like Mount Everest
Kobe Bryant once likened the Achilles injury he sustained in 2013 to climbing Mount Everest. Here is what he said on the matter in 2014, as per the Washington Post.
“To say it was like climbing Mount Everest is an understatement…I found beauty in the process of it. I was consumed by little goals. Walking. Then toe raises…”
During his 2019 appearance on the Art of Charm podcast, Kobe echoed a similar sentiment. In fact, the five-time NBA Champion equated his approach to every single NBA season to climbing a mountain. Here is what he said on the matter:
“You have winning the championship [at the top], when you start the season. That’s the mountain. Now, that mountain is made up of a million little steps, and little goals along the way. But yeah, I certainly do that [approach every season like climbing a mountain].”
“You establish your mountain, and after that, you don’t look to the summit…Just focus on the next step in front of you. You put one foot in front of the other, and you just keep your head down, you keep working… next thing you know, you find yourself at the top of the mountain.”
In the interview, Bryant further talked about how his next mountain (post-retirement) was building a studio and producing films that he truly believed in. Unfortunately, with his untimely demise in 2020, he wasn’t able to pursue his dream for too long.
Over the course of his 20 years in the NBA, Kobe Bryant won five championships, two Finals MVPs, and one regular season MVP, along with a myriad of other awards. Further, he even won an Oscar for ‘Dear Basketball’, a film his studio made in 2017. So, Bryant was able to climb many mountains in his lifetime.
Bryant routinely played through injuries during his career
It is no secret that Kobe Bryant put his all into basketball. However, many worried about how much he committed himself to the sport. This happened the most when the Black Mamba chose to play through injuries, something he was known to do all too often. When asked about why he chose to do it, he said the following:
“I remember, as a kid, going to games, expecting to see the players play. It never occurred to me at the time that they might be tired or sore. They might be sick…I just wanted to see them to do what they do. I think about that…The kid that’s sitting there might be the next me…I need to go out there and play.”
Admittedly, there aren’t enough players left in the league today who share the same mentality with Kobe Bryant. Only Anthony Edwards has been openly vocal about this kind of thinking in recent years, with few NBA players backing up his statement.
