The Mamba Mentality by Aashrith

“Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.”

The man who said this wasn’t just an ordinary person. He was an inspiration.

Kobe Bryant was one of the most competitive and dedicated players in basketball history, and he is known for his forceful and relentless personality. All he cared about was winning and was willing to do anything to get a win.

Bryant won five NBA championships, an MVP award, and two Olympic gold medals. His achievements went further than basketball, though. He even won an Oscar for an animated short film titled “Dear Basketball.”

Some of his personal influences were Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. They were also great basketball legends, who had the same mentality as him.

Known as “The Black Mamba” Kobe had a philosophy called the “Mamba Mentality” which focused on constant dedication, self-improvement, and pushing past fear to achieve the best results.

There was immense pressure riding on him because he was one of the few players to enter the NBA straight out of high school. Near the end of his career, Kobe tore his achilles, but still got back up to shoot (and make) two free throws. 

This year, Tyrese Haliburton, another NBA star tore his achilles as well and stated, “Kobe walked; I’m walking.” Once he said this, he took one step and fell instantly, only emphasizing how excruciating the pain of tearing an achilles was. But the pain didn’t stop Kobe.

He showed what perseverance meant when he played his final game in the NBA. Kobe scored 60 points in 42 minutes at the age of 37. He knew what hard work looked like, so he showed the world.

“His work ethic and brilliance and commitment to excellence was always inspiring,” remarked Hill Harper an actor who admired Kobe’s dedication.

Kobe Bryant was an inspiration to people all around the world. After his NBA career, he started showing up on podcasts and TV shows, allowing himself to be remembered, not only as a basketball player, but as a nice and genuine guy. 

After all of this, his life sadly came to an end in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. His death had the whole world on pause, and no one wanted to believe it. Everyone made sure to give special tributes to him, especially the current NBA players. As soon as the game would start, each team would take a 24-second violation and an 8-second violation to pay respect to Kobe’s jersey numbers.

I admire Kobe Bryant deeply, not just because he was a great basketball player, but because of the mindset that he had. He inspires me to be better in every aspect of my life—whether habits, academics, or hobbies.

I’ll continue to look up to The Black Mamba and thank him for everything that he has done for me and the rest of society.