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My initial thoughts on the life and legacy of Kobe Bryant who was my favorite basketball player ever can be found in my Dear Kobe post. This post will take a look at my thoughts on the Mamba Mentality.
Kobe’s Response To His 4 Airballs Against The Utah Jazz
In Kobe’s rookie season, he shot 4 airballs in a playoff game against the Utah Jazz who had John Stockton and Karl Malone. After that moment Kobe continued to get back in the gym to extend his range and he ended up making 1,827 threes in his NBA career that included 9 seasons with over 100 made threes. He shot a respectable 32.9% from deep for his career
Kobe’s 1 On 1 Game With JR Rider
There is a cool story that his Lakers teammates including Brian Shaw, Ron Harper and Devean George discuss about Kobe’s 1 on 1 game against JR Rider in a post on The Player’s Tribune. JR Rider was a very talented player who averaged nearly 17 points per game for his career. He came to the Lakers to win a championship and he would trash talk 22 year old Kobe every chance he got. He and Kobe played a 1 on 1 game where Kobe dominated and showed off his dunks, crossovers and pullup jumpers. This is one of many examples of Kobe wanting to be the best and wanting everyone to know how the work he put in led to his greatness on the basketball court.
Kobe’s 3 Peat With Shaq
Kobe and Shaq led the most dominant team in my NBA viewing experience to the 3-peat. The Lakers had 2 dominant players, great 3 point shooters, played for each other and were a lot of fun to watch. During those seasons, Kobe averaged over 22 ppg, over 28 ppg and over 25 ppg. During those playoffs, he averaged over 21 ppg, over 29 ppg and over 26 ppg. In those finals he averaged over 15 ppg, over 24 ppg and over 28 ppg. In the finals against the Pacers he missed 2 games due to an injury and came back the next game where he scored 8 points in an overtime victory. He was 21, 22 and 23 years old in these seasons and showed us all how dominant he was so early in his career. Those playoffs series were fun to watch and included the Lakers beating an entertaining Portland Trail Blazers team led by Damon Stoudamire and Scottie Pippen, a tough Sacramento Kings team led by Chris Webber and Mike Bibby and a talented Spurs team led by David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Kobe’s Mamba Mentality was on full display as he showed the world that no matter his lack of years in the NBA, he was ready to dominate the league.
Kobe’s 9 Straight Games With 40 Or More Points
In the 2002-03 season, Kobe’s scoring was on another level. He had 9 straight games with 40 or more points. He proved how consistent and sustainable his ability to be the leading scorer on a team could be.
Kobe’s 81 Point Game
Kobe did whatever it took to will the Los Angeles Lakers to a playoff spot in the 2005-06 season which included an 81 point game explosion against the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 35.4 points, and scored scored 2,832 points that season.
Kobe’s Back-To-Back Championships With Pau Gasol
Coming off an emotional loss to the Boston Celtics, Kobe’s focus was on another level when he worked diligently to bring the Los Angeles Lakers back to winning. He won back-to-back finals against the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics where he averaged over 32 ppg and over 28 ppg respectively. He beat the Magic who had a young and motivated Dwight Howard and a Celtics team with KG, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. Those playoff series were also incredible to watch and included him beating a young Kevin Durant the Oklahoma City Thunder, a motivated Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets and a fast paced Phoenix Suns team led by Steve Nash. His Mamba Mentality was clearly evident in his desire to get back to the top of the mountain and win more rings.
Overcoming Injuries
Every athlete deals with some form of injury. Kobe dealt with all kinds of injuries including a wrist injury early in his career, a sprained ankle that could have been a lot worse in the finals against the Pacers, a back injury in the playoffs against the Jazz, an injury to his shooting finger for about six seasons and a torn achilles at the game I went to against the Golden State Warriors. Injuries did not keep Kobe down because his Mamba Mentality kept him going for himself, his family, his teammates and coaches, the Lakers organization and the fans.
How I Embrace The Mamba Mentality
The Mamba Mentality is not just for sports, it is for every day life. I have learned over the years how to adjust to accomplish things I like to do. I was born with a preexisting condition called panhypopituitarism. God healed me from it at age 17. I do not see well out of my right eye. I am a black belt in American Defense Karate, a life scout, I got a ba in communications from The Master’s University where I was team manager of the Mustangs for 4 great seasons and I now run The Cannon Network. To me, the Mamba Mentality is discipline, overcoming obstacles and giving your best effort in every situation. I am thankful that Kobe was my favorite player ever, played for my favorite NBA team the Los Angeles Lakers and impacted the game of basketball that I love in such a tremendous way. I am looking forward to continuing to build The Cannon Network and do everything I do with The Mamba Mentality. #Kobeforever #MambaMentality #TheCannonNetwork
