“He Was Really My Idol”: Sam Darnold Recalls Trying to ‘Emulate’ Kobe Bryant

For San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold, football wasn’t his first love; basketball was. Speaking candidly, Darnold admitted that growing up in Southern California, his earliest passion revolved around the hardwood.

“It was fun playing basketball. Like that was my first true love,” Darnold said. “Especially growing up in Southern California, being able to watch Kobe Bryant my entire life with the Lakers.”

Darnold reflected on just how much the Lakers legend shaped his mindset and approach to sports.

“He was really my idol… just watching him compete every single game at such a high level,” Darnold said. “It was fun to watch him and then try to emulate that, whether that was on the court or in my backyard on the little hoop that we had.”

It’s clear Kobe’s relentless drive, famously dubbed the “Mamba Mentality,” left an impression that transcended basketball. Darnold said that while he didn’t fully understand the meaning of Kobe’s mentality as a kid, he could see it in the way Bryant carried himself, both on and off the court.

“Everyone talks about it now, but just seeing the way that he played… I didn’t know what his mentality was called back then. I just saw the way that he worked and that killer instinct he had. It was incredible, and I learned a lot from that.”

Darnold isn’t the only NFL player to draw inspiration from Kobe’s legendary mindset. Aaron Rodgers, another California native and lifelong basketball fan, has also spoken at length about idolizing Bryant. The Jets quarterback once said he hoped to dedicate his entire career to one franchise, much like Kobe did with the Lakers.

Rodgers’ admiration for Bryant runs deep, stretching back to childhood when, at just nine years old, he made headlines for his own hooping skills in the Ukiah Daily Journal under the title “Free Throws Are His Forte.”

Across the NFL, that admiration for Kobe’s legacy is widespread. Stars like Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Davante Adams have all cited Bryant’s intensity and work ethic as sources of inspiration in their own careers.