The Mamba Mentality: Perfecting the Game with Kobe Bryant - Essay Sample

Introduction

Being a legend does not mean moving a mountain but being exemplary in the things you are so passionate about. The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is a biography by Kobe Bryant, who explains how perfectly he mastered the game and guides every other person to become a legend irrespective of the field of talent. Kobe Bryant was never a loser and had his laser focus to his advantage (Mamba, 14). Kobe Bryant was very competitive, attentive to every detail, and was always prepared before anything. Becoming a legend had to be pertinent to such features. In the first part of the book, Kobe brings out a list of letters received from Phil Jackson, his long-time coach, and Pau Gasol, his teammate. In the second section, Bryant enlists his pre and post-match rituals as part of the process. He explains various events of his career life and ambitious to have a signature of the shoe. He also explains more of his experience in the 20 years he plaid for NBA (Mamba, 23). Bryant further explains his experience while playing for the U.S Olympics under Coach Mike and his hopes that going to college would have landed him to Duke. The third part is ‘Craft’ and explains how Bryant would play differently during each game. As an athlete and NBA star, Kobe Bryant played for Los Angeles Lakers and won five championships, 18 all-star selections, two gold medals, and four All-Star MVP selections in the 20 years of his career. Kobe explained his career life between 1996 and 2016 and died alongside his daughter Gianna in a place crass on January 26th, 2020. Therefore, this paper examines the legendary journey, as portrayed by Kobe Brant Mamba.

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“Every negative-pressure, challenges-is an opportunity for me to rise” (Mamba, p.52). Kobe Bryant explains his exhilarating journey as an NBA player who was lucky to join Lakers right after high school. According to Kobe, success is a result of consistency, mentality, exercise, and time management. As the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, Kobe had a compelling foundation for his career. In his high school days, he was recognized as the best basketball player in the United States. As early as 17 years, Bryant was already lifting weights to strengthen his muscles as a player (Mamba, p.76). His 90-minute weights lifting may have changed over the years, but his legendary philosophy remained intact. Kobe continues to be the youngest player to have scored 30,000 career points in NBA breaking the Jerry West record (Mamba, p.100). In the Mamba mentality, he explains that one can easily manipulate the opponents’ strength to win against them. The right mindset is not about seeking the result but the process of achieving it. Mamba’s routine was never specific but comprised of strenuous activities, unlike his fellows. As a young man, he had all the energy to explore various things, hence the early mornings and late nights. In his view of time management, Bryant explains that success is a result of the sacrifices you make. To him, he had to be with his family, yet wake up early before them and sleep late after them to create time for the gym. His activities were enticed by his thoughts and moods rather than what other people find right. For instance, when everyone else thought it is time to go to bed, Kobe would be thinking of how to be ahead in the competition. His indifferent thinking was of great help for his career. Mamba had intelligent control over distractions by making crazy shots in the middle of the game to ensure his team won. Primarily, he emphasized that people only celebrate the shine, not the struggle. Therefore it is up to you to mold your success story.

A successful Journey is defined by the obstacles you face and how well you overcame them. As Kobe Bryant Mamba alludes, his journey was not all merry. He had his struggles as well. Despite his success as a player, riches, and a fulfilled talent, he had to spend less time with his wife and children to maintain his crown. He had to sacrifice a part of fatherhood and husband roles to be in the field or gym. The mere fact that he was a start was pressurizing. He had to allocate time for each activity and spend a few hours with his family. Nonetheless, Kobe had a robust support system. His father, wife, and children were his strength. In the late years of his career, Bryant was nursing a series of injuries with a torn Achilles, broken muscles and fingers, fractured knees, and had a couple of surgeries to sustain him (Mamba, p.150).

Nonetheless, Kobe didn’t lose to the injuries. He maintained that at least the pain was bearable, and he came through all the obstacles as a victor. He kept his stance that he was never a loser, and it would not be a first. The only possible outcome of his struggles was a success and not a failure. He states, “the only aspect that can’t change though, is the obsession.” Therefore, his crucial motivation was that he had to win. He had a desire to satisfy, and a reputation to keep. Kobe’s winning mentality is the primary focus of this. Despit5e the struggles, spending less time with family, the injuries, and so on, Kobe remained a victor all through. Therefore, every other person has to be motivated by Kobe’s winning mentality. The ability of a person to walk through the challenges successfully is a crucial indicator of a winner. It is never about how many times you won but about how many times you overcame your challenges.

Other than obstacles, a winner’s mentality is guided by proper time management. As Kobe would wake up early and sleep late, he would nap when tired. Winning does not include straining yourself to uncontrollable levels. It requires you to go extra but again recognize your limits. There were times when Bryant would be exhausted after the gym activities despite feeling he could do more. In those times, instead of looking for energy stimulants to keep him in the gym, he would surrender and get some sleep. Most successful people will agree that creating time for yourself and your body is a crucial indicator of success. You are not successful if you must supplement your diet to stay awake. It is not a success story if you keep visiting your doctor to keep your health in check since you have no time to track your nutrition and wellness. Therefore, success remains to be all around. Accumulate wealth while your health is excellent. Health is the highest form of wealth. If you are well, you can comfortably achieve anything. As Kobe would do, he never wanted to stay in pain for a long time. He would do all it takes to regain his health. A supportive family is all Kobe Bryant needed to achieve more of his goals. An understanding wife, father, and children who loved him were his primary source of happiness followed by basketball.

Change is an inevitable aspect of success that must be embraced from the beginning. Kobe Bryant’s routine has hanged over the years as he grew older, and his anxieties calmed. However, your mentality, vision, philosophy, or goals should remain intact. You can change your approach towards achieving your goals but cannot replace the target. If you want to be a winner, it shall stay that way to the very end despite the approaches you experiment with. Also, time management is a necessary aspect of growth. You must create time for every critical aspect of your life. Necessarily, one must have the ability to identify and overcome obstacles in the success journey. Finally, having a supportive family is also a vital determinant of a successful person.

Works Cited

Mamba Kobe B. “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” Journal of African American Studies, October 23rd, 2018, (2018). https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/63088144/pdf-download-the-mamba-mentality-how-i-play