There were several youngsters who idolized Michael Jordan. Growing up, there were millions of children who wanted to be Like Mike. Kobe Bryant was merely one of them. Growing up, Bryant modeled his game around MJ’s. From copying the mannerism to perfecting the iconic fadeaway jumper, the Black Mamba virtually became Jordan 2.0. Unfortunately, Bryant wasn’t able to replicate the success that the Chicago Bulls legend witnessed over the course of his illustrious career. However, the Los Angeles Lakers legend revealed not being too bothered by not matching Mike’s 6 Championships.
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Right from their physical stature – 6ft 6” and around the 200lb mark – to their mannerism and the styles of the play, the similarities between the two were uncanny. Intangibles such as having the drive to be the best and a winning mentality were also some common traits between the two. Apart from working out with the same personal trainer – Tim Grover – the Shooting Guards also won their combined 11 titles under the coaching of Phil Jackson.
Kobe Bryant wasn’t bothered by not being able to match Michael Jordan’s 6 titles
At one point in the final campaign of his career – Kobe sat down for an interesting interview with Ernie Johnson. During the interview, that was covered by Harrison Faigen of SB Nation, the Lakers leader was asked about the five titles he won during his career. Johnson also made sure to ask how bothered Kobe was being unable to match his idol Michael Jordan’s six Championship. Surprisingly, a highly competitive Bryant revealed being content with the laurels he had gathered.
“No. I did everything I possibly could. It sounds crazy to say I won five championships and come up one short. But honestly I’m okay with that. It just wasn’t in the cards for me to get six or seven. I did everything possible to try to make it happen, and I can live with that any day,” Kobe said.
Bryant missed out on several golden opportunities to win the title. The Los Angeles Lakers reached the NBA Finals in 2004 as well as 2008 but got knocked out by the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics, respectively.
Following the 2010 Championship win, the combo guard was sidelined for long durations of time due to lingering injuries. Even though he did make it to several All-Star teams later, Bryant was unable to make a postseason appearance since their 2012 Playoff loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
What did the ‘Mamba Mentality’ signify?
Kobe Bryant often preached his Mamba Mentality. For the entirety of his career, Bryant swore to live by this famous philosophy of his. The ideology was simple – dedicating yourself completely in order to improve constantly.
Apart from sharing several inspiring anecdotes, the Mamba once shared some advice to those who were being haunted by self-doubt. Even though the legend is no longer with us, this mentality of his continues to live on.
