The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

“I could go on listing records and accounts of his scoring prowess, but that was really a side note to Bryant’s evolution as a player. My staff would meet at 8:30 AM at our facility before a practice or game to prepare for the coming day. […] He would be in the gym well before that, maybe by 6 AM to get his pre-practice workout done before anyone else showed up. That was the trademark of the final 10 years of his career. Bryant led by example for his teammates. They couldn’t keep up—but they were always challenged by the example he set.”

Coach Phil Jackson’s observations in his Introduction to The Mamba Mentality attest to the time commitment that Bryant describes throughout the text. Jackson, like Gasol, was continuously impressed by the way that Bryant stood out among his teammates, beyond his exceptional athletic prowess and insight into the game of basketball. Bryant consistently demonstrated a diligence that buttressed his success; it was his willingness to sacrifice time he might have spent in other areas of his life in service of the pursuit of his professional excellence.

“When it came to basketball, I had no fear. What I mean by that is: if I wanted to implement something new into my game, I’d see it and try incorporating it immediately. I wasn’t scared of missing, looking bad, or being embarrassed. That’s because I always kept the end result, the long game, in my mind. I always focused on the fact that I had to try something to get it, and once I got it, I’d have another tool in my arsenal. If the price was a lot of work and a few missed shots, I was OK with that.”

Bryant attributes much of his early growth as a professional athlete to this willingness to make mistakes. He believes that the only regret he would be justified in feeling would lie in realizing in later years that he had squandered an opportunity to place himself further ahead than where he found himself had he only taken greater risks earlier in his career.

“It was always fun to watch, study, and ask the most important question: Why? The biggest element that changed over time, however, was I went from watching what was there to watching for what was missing and should have been there. I went from watching what happened to what could have and should have happened.”

One of Bryant’s most essential strategies comprising his overall methodology for approaching basketball was common to most other students of the game. The practice of regularly reviewing game tape is ubiquitous among athletes and coaching staff alike at all levels of competition, but Bryant found particular value and efficacy in his own style of analytics. This inquisitive style is a hallmark of the Mamba Mentality; identifying opportunities for improvement through diligent attention to detail.

“If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out. That’s totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody.”

Bryant does not assign the term “dilettante” in his differentiation between those who fully devote themselves to their pursuits and those who are happier to remain noncommittal to their interests. It is clear, however, that he believed that people who dabble in their chosen realm should not expect to find themselves on the same level of achievement as devotees. Bryant’s profession happened to also be his passion, a distinct advantage over those who might find themselves obsessed with a pursuit which might be of value to them but not lucrative enough to allow them to commit all their time and energy to it the way that Bryant had with basketball.

“I never had a set routine, an ironclad formula that I practiced night after night. I listened to my body and let it inform my warmup, because there are always variables. […] I always listened to my body. That’s the best advice I can give: listen to your body, and warm it up with purpose.”

Bryant broke his wrist almost immediately after being drafted to the Lakers and required 14 weeks of recovery time before he could return to game play. This early, brief incapacitation taught him how important it was to be aware of his physical health, especially in a career which relied so predominantly upon his athletic capabilities. Bryant maintained excellent physical conditioning at all times, but he did not confine himself to a specific regimen; instead, he employed insight in order to navigate his approach. Having struggled with an injury so early in his career, he began to anticipate how he might deal with future injuries and react accordingly.

“I always liked the peace and calm of the arena before everyone else got there. It’s just me and the basket, the court and my imagination, dreams. There’s something about being in a big arena when no one else is there. It gives me a sense of nirvana and also prepares me for the game. When I jogged out of the tunnel and the fans were screaming and it’s loud, the noise didn’t impact me. Mentally, I was able to remember the stillness of the earlier moment and carry that with me.”

Bryant regularly arrived at the arena earlier than anyone else. At first, he developed this habit as a time management strategy; he realized that he could work into his schedule an additional morning practice or workout by coming in earlier and catching up on sleep at intervals throughout the day. What he discovered was that the time that he spent alone in what was otherwise a shared and often chaotic space gave him a distinct advantage and became part of his strategy for mental preparation.

“I asked a ton of questions. I was curious. I wanted to improve, learn, and fill my head with the history of the game. No matter who I was with—a coach, hall of famer, teammate—and no matter the situation—game, practice, vacation—I would fire away with question after question. A lot of people appreciated my curiosity and passion. They appreciated that I wasn’t just asking to ask, I was genuinely thirsty to hear their answers and glean new info. Some people, meanwhile, were less understanding and gracious. That was fine with me. My approach always was that I’d rather risk embarrassment now than be embarrassed later, when I’ve won zero titles.”

One reoccurring theme throughout The Mamba Mentality is Bryant’s respect and appreciation for the experience and expertise of his fellow players and coaching staff. Bryant was often described as assertive, and sometimes as cocky, and it appears that he realized that his enthusiasm during his early years might have been interpreted differently than he intended. Instead of scaling back, he continued to seek opportunities to avail himself of all the wisdom he could, and attributes much of the knowledge he gained to that persistence.

“My routine changed over time; my approach didn’t. I always tried to prepare intelligently, but as I got older my pre- and post-game routine evolved. When you’re younger, you work on explosive things and as you get older your focus shifts to preventive measures. That’s all par for the course. The only aspect that can’t change, though, is that obsession. You have to enter every activity, every single time, with a want and a need to do it to the best of your ability.”

Bryant played professional basketball for 20 years. As his body naturally changed with age and in response to the demands continually placed upon it, his exceptional physical health, and the abundance of resources surrounding him to ensure optimum performance worked as protective factors in increasing the longevity of career. His mindset played a pivotal role in the management of his health because he listened to the signals he was receiving through its feedback and adapted his regimen accordingly.

“Refs have a difficult job. They’re not just responsible for observing and moderating the action in front of them at a fast pace. They’re also responsible for bearing the brunt of the emotions of a game that tend to boil over. On top of that, they’re not robots, so they also have to be aware of their own emotions and try to remain objective. It’s a tough job. If refs make a mistake, they’ll get lambasted. If they do a good job, no one mentions them. I always tried to keep that in mind and treat them like the real underappreciated and emotional human being that they are. I think that always worked to my benefit.”

Bryant recognized that impartiality, an essential expectation of the role of a referee, took an effort to maintain in the intense atmosphere surrounding professional basketball games. The connections that Bryant made with the people around him extended past the relationships that he developed with his fellow players and the coaching staff. His ability to appreciate the perspective of those individuals making the critical decisions, which could mean the difference between advantages and disadvantages for his team, gave him an advantage, mentally and interpersonally.

When I was young, my mindset was image, image, image. I took that approach with the media. As I became more experienced I realized: No matter what, people are going to like you or not like you. So be authentic, and let them like you or not for who you actually are.”

Bryant’s desire to present himself in a favorable light is consistent with the youthful age at which he was drafted into the NBA, and with many people who find themselves becoming famous almost overnight. As he matured, Bryant learned that he could exert considerable time and effort trying to cultivate and curate his image to represent himself in a positive light, but that he would ultimately have very little control over others’ opinion of him. He eliminated the burden of having to dedicate effort in that direction so that he could focus his attention on his game.

“Initially, I thought the phrase “Mamba Mentality” was just a catchy hashtag that I’d start on Twitter. Something witty and memorable. But it took off from there and came to symbolize much more. The mindset isn’t about seeking a result—it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life. I do think that it’s important, in all endeavors, to have a mentality.”

Bryant gave himself the nickname “The Black Mamba,” after watching Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill, which featured the character of an assassin with the same code name. He offhandedly used the hashtag #MambaMentality on Twitter in reference to his approach to basketball, and he was pleasantly surprised to see the hashtag take off and become broadly utilized in motivational social media posts. In writing The Mamba Mentality, Bryant embraced the opportunity to expound upon what that philosophy entails.

“I never felt outside pressure. I knew what I wanted to accomplish, and I knew how much work it took to achieve those goals. I then put in the work and trusted in it. Besides, the expectations I placed on myself were higher than anyone expected from me.”

This ability to filter out emotions that were not conducive to his process is one that Bryant considered integral to his success. Many other athletes, especially those also competing at national or international levels, with multiple interests involved, often find themselves susceptible to these outside influences, to the detriment of their ability to perform at their highest possible level of excellence. Bryant often speaks about obsession and dedication in The Mamba Mentality; it is precisely because he was his own most aggressive challenger that he could work toward his commitment unfettered.

“KG was the leader of his team and I was the leader of mine, so I made sure to send a message to everyone in the game: I see your top dog and I am not going to back down.”

As Bryant rose over the years to gradually assume greater leadership responsibilities on the team, he carefully considered not only the approach through which he interacted with his own teammates, but the way he chose to engage with players on opposing teams. In this passage, he is referring to Kevin Garnett; he wanted to make certain that Garnett’s teammates understood that he was going to intentionally challenge their strongest teammate. By putting them on notice, Bryant took a proactive and aggressive stance he hoped would bolster the confidence of his teammates and cause the opposing team to perform their best if they hoped to beat the Lakers.

“Once I reached that level, health aside, the was nothing anyone could do during the ensuing years to slow me down. […] For some people, I guess, it might be hard to stay sharp once you’ve reached the pinnacle. Not for me, though. It was never enough. I always wanted to be better, wanted more. I can’t really explain it, other than that I loved the game but had a very short memory.”

Bryant does not address the true longevity of his personal history with basketball in The Mamba Mentality; as the son of a professional basketball player, Bryant literally grew up courtside, assuming the role of sweeper, mopping up the sweat collecting on the court as the players exerted themselves in gameplay. Bryant attributes his insatiable drive to continue besting his own bests to his love for the game of basketball, and it is likely that his early immersion in the culture of the sport engendered this enduring love from an early age and perpetuating its endurance throughout his life.

“In retrospect, it was awesome to be a part of that historic rivalry. I knew the history. I knew what Jerry West went through. I knew what the Showtime Lakers went through. That definitely added to the meaning of it all.”

One of the many distinguishing features of Bryant’s career is the fact that he spent the entirety of his tenure as a professional basketball player playing for one team. While, customarily, others were traded to other teams at varied intervals, Bryant had the opportunity to develop a special relationship to the Lakers. He appreciated the history of the team before he joined it and how that history shaped its culture, and he understood himself to be part of its legacy. He was able to conceive of the greater picture and his place in it.

“When most players look at basketball as a competition, they consider scoring and defending. In truth, even this little aspect—boxing out—is a competition within the competition. It’s a competition to see who wants it more, and I’m not going to lose that type of battle.”

Here, Bryant uses a defending technique such as boxing out another player to demonstrate how deeply his desire to win was rooted in him. Through his emphasis on the importance of marrying passion and commitment to achieve greatness, he implies that there exist some very talented players in the world of professional sports who treat their time on the court as more of a job than a calling. He suggests that the difference between excellence and greatness lies in the level of devotion to one’s goals, and that even a small moment of defense on the court requires the same passion as the larger goal of winning a game or a championship.

“I fought through some injuries—ankles, back, knees, shoulders—that limited me in certain ways. […] Once I established my limitations, I’d adjust my gameplan accordingly. Occasions like that are reminders why you need to have a well-rounded game, why you need to be able to do everything with both hands […].”

Bryant cultivated his skill set so that he could compensate for any limitations which might arise from the injuries that he accrued, whether they were specific individual traumas associated with one event, or those which crept up on him over the course of the grueling physical demands placed on him by the NBA’s demanding game schedule. By learning to circumvent his physical challenges, Bryant adapted so that he could continue to perform to his optimum potential, a conscious decision that prolonged his career and preserved his physical health.

“Emotions are a major component of basketball. The game is full of ebbs and flows—the good, the bad, and everything in between. With all that was going on around me, I had to figure out how to steel my mind and keep calm and centered. That’s not to say my emotions didn’t spike or drop here or there but I was aware enough to recalibrate and bring them back level before things spiraled. I could do that in a way others couldn’t and that was really key for me.”

Bryant did not consider himself immune to his emotions, but instead learned to compartmentalize and regulate them so that he could retain his focus. This gave him an advantage not only with respect to his ability to discipline himself on the court, but also because so many around him were not able to do the same. Coaches, owners, fans, sponsors, and any number of others with a vested interest in the outcome of a basketball game, especially the other players, contribute to the tone of the atmosphere, largely because they do not manage their emotions as effectively as Bryant was able to. With others in a heightened emotional state, Bryant could use his cooler head to prevail.

“I was in control of whether I would finish strong or pivot back around and find open shooters on the perimeter. A large part of that in-air decision was based on scouting individual and team tendencies. I would know who would jump vertically and allow me to finish. Likewise, I would know who was more confrontational and likely to foul me or leave an open passing lane. It all depended on who was waiting for me at the basket and what the smart play was going to be.”

This passage is an example of Bryant’s methodology on the court. As a student of the game, he cataloged the playing style and habits of his opponents so that when he came up against them, he could make predictions about how they were going to react and then decide how to proceed accordingly. For Bryant, excelling at basketball was not simply about playing his own game to the best of his ability, but making strategic choices so that his efforts would yield the best results.

“Winning championships is everything. It’s really one of the greatest joys on this planet. That feeling drove me to always want more. When I won one ring, I wanted two. When I won two, I wanted three. I think that drive stemmed from being part of a rebuilding process, after struggling for a few years and working and working to reach that pinnacle. Once I reached it, I wanted to achieve more. I never wanted to experience the still-familiar feeling of defeat again.”

As someone who truly loved the game of basketball, Bryant found fulfillment in achieving the highest accolade possible in his sport, an NBA championship ring. The rewarding feeling that he experienced in winning years drove him to value the process of rising to that level in years where his team was struggling to reach that height. In extrapolating the approaches that Bryant developed over his career to other realms of professional and personal interest, it can be inferred that similar inspiration can be found in scenarios where one’s success can be measured by rewards that inspire them to continue pursuing greater and greater developments.

“You can pick up a nuance or weakness by studying tape and paying attention during workouts. In fact, I was constantly scouting teammates and opponents. I would learn how physically complete their game was, how perseverant they were, and identify weaknesses right there and then. I would file that away until we eventually played against each other. […] What separates great players from all-time great players is their ability to self-assess, diagnose weaknesses, and turn those flaws into strengths.”

Bryant embraced every opportunity available to him to engage in observation and interpretation. As echoed by Gasol and Jackson, Bryant was constantly making optimal use of his time, even thinking ahead to those times when his teammates might be traded, and he could use what he learned from them in their proximity as teammates to target their weaknesses. His decision to collect information constantly meant that he rarely felt unprepared when it was time to face off against opponents in the fast-paced engagement happening on the court.

“I lost track of time. […] In that moment I realized: it was going to be one of the greatest performances of all time or one of the worst. I kind of laughed at that thought for a second, smiled because I always stayed prepared to play on leaden legs; then I just went out and hooped. The game started and I was acutely focused. I was in the moment, and any small thoughts of it being the final game disappeared. The game became the game—the game I played professionally nearly every day for 20 years. The tactical game that I excelled in. The game of chess that I always played and loved.”

Before the final game of his career, Bryant, realizing the significance of this last time on the court, wondered how the game would go for him and how it might set the tone as the capstone of his tenure as an NBA player. When he got onto the court to begin playing, he found himself relaxing into the groove he had carved out for himself over the years, able to perform by insight and instinct as he always had. This realization speaks to the power of preparedness to equip a performer, athlete, or professional to conquer variables, even to the last game of their career.

“Basketball took me everywhere. The game provided me with every opportunity that I ever imagined it would, and along the way I learned an innumerable amount. I’m not just speaking about on the court, either. Without hoops, I would not understand how to create or write, I would not understand human nature, nor would I know how to lead. The game, in essence, taught me the art of storytelling.”

In these, some of his final reflections on his career, Bryant expresses his appreciation for the sport of basketball, and the way that it transformed and shaped him as a person. Over the course of The Mamba Mentality, Bryant devotes particular attention to the people who taught and supported him, and the specific ways they contributed to his experiences, and his understanding of himself and the sport. Bryant doesn’t address his many other pursuits outside the world of basketball, including his extensive charitable work and media creations, but it was because of basketball that he was able to engage in these other endeavors, which were so rewarding to him.