Kobe Bryant was an icon of basketball and arguably the biggest influence on this generation of basketball players. Kobe’s never-ending scoring arsenal and his “Mamba Mentality” earned him cult status with an entire generation.
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Naturally, an inclination to make references to “Mamba Mentality” for any hard-earned feat became common among basketball fans. Pop culture links and hip-hop further made the phrase common parlance.
Especially following Kobe’s death, however, it would appear the term has become quite overused. With a horde of young basketball players anointing themselves as the carriers of Kobe’s torch, “Mamba Mentality” has been thrown around quite loosely in the mainstream too.
And it looks like even the top brass of NBA organizations is irritated by the same. Bob Myers has been the mind behind the multiple championship-winning Warriors rosters and is one of the most revered GMs in all of basketball. As someone in the thick of the action, Myers spoke out about the incessant usage of the phrase.
Safe to say Myers isn’t a fan of how overused the phrase has become today.
What did Bob Myers have to say about the widespread use of “Mamba Mentality”?
An enraged Myers seemed to have had his vent in mind for quite some time. On All the Smoke, Myers criticized the younger generation for their excessive use of “Mamba Mentality”. And the Warriors GM rightly observed, “Mamba Mentality” stood for Kobe and his uncomparable work ethic.
In Myers’ opinion, without replicating that famous work ethic, no one has a claim to “Mamba Mentality”. Matt Barnes, Myers’ host, and a former NBA player affirmed the GM’s point about Bryant’s efforts. Barnes talked about how it was tough to even comprehend, even as a pro himself.
While Kobe may have faced a lot of criticism in his career, when it came to that sage-like focus on basketball, the opinion was undivided. There was no one like Kobe, and there will be no one like Kobe. “He was one of one”, as Bob Myers described.
The Warriors GM is seen evidently livid as he vents his frustration. Myers almost makes it feel like the trend is almost disrespectful to Kobe. And in a way it is. “Mamba Mentality” isn’t for everyone, and it shouldn’t be. While an animated response was surprising, Myers does make a valid point.
How did Kobe Bryant build the ‘Mamba Mentality’
Expected to be worth an impressive $600 million, Kobe Bryant had anointed himself the “Black Mamba” and had the nickname gaining popularity. And it was Bryant himself who soon came up with the “Mamba Mentality” terminology too. Kobe came up with it at one of the tours he held which aimed to “challenge and inspire” the next generation.
“I came up with it on one of our tours. Because I put the kids through so many drills and clinics and I just thought to myself, ‘Mamba Mentality’. I actually said it. This is what embodies the brand of what we stand for” said Kobe, explaining the origins of the phrase.
Bryant also went on to describe what it meant to him. In Kobe’s words, “To sum up what mamba mentality is, it means to be able to constantly try to be the best version of yourself”. True to his words, Bryant and his fierce work ethic were in a constant effort to improve.
The former Laker superstar, however, was not just trying to be the best version of himself. By extension, Bryant was in a perennial battle to get to the highest echelon of NBA basketball. That is what the mentality stood for. And maybe, the next generation should emulate the work ethic first before adopting the phrase for themselves.
