24 Motivating Kobe Bryant Quotes from The Mamba Mentality on Work Ethic, Mindset, and Greatness

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Excerpt: Peer into the mind of one of basketball’s all-time greats: Kobe Bryant. These 24 Quotes from The Mamba Mentality highlight Kobe’s insane work ethic, unmatched mindset, and his commitment to greatness.

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Introduction: Moving Through Life With The Mamba Mentality

The game of life is full of ebbs and flows—the good, the bad, and everything in between. I think 2020 highlights that in more intense ways than in many years of recent past—especially for Kobe—may he rest in peace. And while it’s natural to hope that things go back to “normal” and that the ebbs and flows “level out” so that they may be more easily managed—it would be unrealistic and naive to expect it to actually happen. The ebbs will continue to ebb and the flows will continue to flow, like they always have and like they always will. So, what then are we to do?

With all that is going on around us, we, too, have to figure out how to steel our mind and keep calm and centered in the midst of the chaos. We have to learn how to control what we can control. The ebbs and flows of life? Nope—can’t control those. How we respond to those rapid and unpredictable changes? Yes—well within our control. That’s what Kobe understood when in the heat of some of his most intense challenges on and off the court. And it’s what we have to learn to adopt if we, too, are going to figure out how to more quickly recalibrate and level ourselves out in the heat of some of our most intense moments. It’s how we can develop our own Mamba Mentality.

Bryant reportedly nicknamed himself the “Black Mamba,” inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s 2003 film, Kill Bill, in which the mamba snake was code for a deadly assassin. “Mamba mentality” he elaborated on in an Amazon Book Interview, “is all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most.  It’s the ultimate mantra for the competitive spirit.  It started just as a hashtag that came to me one day, and it’s grown into something athletes—and even non-athletes—embrace as a mindset.”

And hard work is exactly what it takes to learn how to control the irrational, punitive, unstable emotional responses of our mind. Becoming emotionally stable is something that takes effort to achieve, it’s not something that is just given to you. In fact, even after sustained and deliberate work, emotional stability is something that will always require additional work and is never something that is permanently achieved. At least not in my understanding, but maybe that’s what ‘enlightenment’ is? Even so, I would think that even an enlightened person would continue to practice emotionally stabilizing exercises and techniques. I digress.

We live in a world that is constantly out of balance—nothing is ever static and everything is always shifting. How can everything ever be perfectly balanced when nothing is ever still? It is not possible. This is where Kobe got it right and why he left such an impressive legacy behind. It was his work ethic and willingness to adapt to the imbalances. “Hard work outweighs talent — every time,” he continued from the same interview above. “Mamba mentality is about 4 a.m. workouts, doing more than the next guy and then trusting in the work you’ve put in when it’s time to perform. Without studying, preparation and practice, you’re leaving the outcome to fate. I don’t do fate.”

Fate is what results when you let life decide for you. Legacy is what results when you decide your life for yourself. If there’s but one all encompassing lesson I took away from Kobe Bryant, it’s to take life into your own hands. To control what you can control and to work hard to optimize your performance in each of those controllable areas. Because when you feel deep within that you’ve done that, what could you possibly regret? How could you ever argue with what results? Everything in your life will have been in your own hands. And I don’t know about you, but that’s exactly who I would want in control of my life. The question I pass off to you is, who do you want in control of yours?

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The List: 24 Motivating Kobe Bryant Quotes from The Mamba Mentality

Below, you will find our list of 24 quotes from The Mamba Mentality that highlight Kobe’s insane work ethic, unmatched mindset, and his commitment to greatness. It’s such a blessing that we have this documented collection of insights that allows us to peer into the mind of one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived. Especially considering his life came to such a tragic and abrupt end in January of 2020.

Had he not written and published this book in October of 2018—had he decided to procrastinate and wait until later to dig deeper into his own mindset and reflect on his remarkable career—we may never have had this profound opportunity to understand The Mamba Mentality and truly understand how Kobe approached playing basketball from a 360 degree perspective. Thankfully that wasn’t the case and, as was true to character for Kobe, he didn’t procrastinate his main priorities.

But, don’t take it from me. Listen to Kobe explain his work ethic, mindset, and commitment to greatness in his own words. It’s surreal to envision him dissecting his career and putting everything he learned and developed into this book while he was still alive. And if nothing else, let that thought be motivation enough for you to get to work.

Life is unfair, it’s never long enough, and it will swallow your dreams in the blink of an eye. Fate took a great one away from us. Fortunate for us, Kobe never left his legacy up to fate. He owned every corner of his life and made the most of it while he was here. Make sure you do the same for yours.

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“From the beginning, I wanted to be the best. I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best. I never needed any external forces to motivate me.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 22)

“Greatness isn’t easy to achieve. It requires a lot of time, a lot of sacrifices. It requires a lot of tough choices. It requires your loved ones to sacrifice, too, so you have to have an understanding circle of family and friends. People don’t always understand just how much effort from how many people goes into one person chasing a dream to be great.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 33)

“You have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light. Meaning: It takes a lot of work to be successful, and people will celebrate that success, will celebrate that flash and hype. Behind that hype, though, is dedication, focus, and seriousness—all of which outsiders will never see. If you stop being dedicated to the craft, the commercials and contracts will all fade away.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 59)

“My routine was grueling. It involved early mornings and late nights. It involved stretching, lifting, training, hooping, recovery, and film study. It involved putting in a lot of work and hours. It’s—no lie—tiring. For that reason, a lot of players pare down their lifting and training during the season. They try conserving their energy. Not me, though. I found that, yes, this work might be strenuous on the day-to-day, but it left me stronger and more prepared during the dog days of the season and the playoffs.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 42)

“There’s a fine balance between obsessing about your craft and being there for your family. It’s akin to walking a tightrope. Your legs are shaky and you’re trying to find your center. Whenever you lean too far in one direction, you correct your course and end up overleaning in the other direction. So, you correct by leaning the other way again. That’s the dance. You can’t achieve greatness by walking a straight line.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 33)

“If you really want to be great at something, you have to truly care about it. 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.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 33)

“The only way I was able to pick up details on the court, to be aware of the minutiae on the hardwood, was by training my mind to do that off the court and focusing on every detail in my daily life. By reading, by paying attention in class and in practice, by working, I strengthened my focus. By doing all of that, I strengthened my ability to be present and not have a wandering mind.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 29)

“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 what anyone expected from me.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 98)

“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.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 93)

“I liked challenging people and making them uncomfortable. That’s what leads to introspection and that’s what leads to improvement. You could say I dared people to be their best selves.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 88)

“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.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 40)

“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.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 78)

“Most players listen to music every game. They have their headphones on religiously and use music to get them in the right state of mind. They’d even sing and dance. I rarely ever did that. Sometimes, even when I had headphones on, there wasn’t any music playing. It was a feint to keep people away, and to get in my zone. For the most part, before games I just liked being there, hearing the sounds of the environment and observing everything.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 84)

“Coaches are teachers. Some coaches—lesser coaches—try telling you things. Good coaches, however, teach you how to think and arm you with the fundamental tools necessary to execute properly. Simply put, good coaches make sure you know how to use both hands, how to make proper reads, how to understand the game. Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them. That’s the same at every level.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 62)

“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.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 175)

“I built my game to have no holes. It doesn’t matter how well you knew my game. It doesn’t matter if we played against each other for years, or were even teammates for a stretch. None of that helped you guard me. Yes, you might have known I preferred to go one way. That didn’t ultimately matter, because I could just as easily go the other way. Yeah, you might have also thought you knew my cadence and rhythm, except—I didn’t have one. I made a point to adjust the pace of my attack to throw defenders off. In essence, the more you thought you knew about my game, the harder it would actually be to guard me.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 197)

“If something has worked for other greats before you, and if something is working for you, why change it up and embrace some new fad? Stick with what works, even if it’s unpopular.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 25)

“What separates great players from all-time great players is their ability to self-assess, diagnose weaknesses, and turn those flaws into strengths.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 197)

“The OG greats won’t hang around you if you don’t display the same passion as they do. They won’t share their time and memories with you if you don’t display the same effort and drive for excellence that they did. Even though I was only 17 when I became a Laker, I felt like a member of the family from day one. I think I was accepted so quickly because everyone saw how hard I worked, saw how badly I wanted to fulfill my destiny and return L.A. to its championship ways.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 91)

“The agony of defeat is as low as the joy of winning is high. However, they’re the exact same to me. I’m at the gym at the same time after losing 50 games as I am after winning a championship. It doesn’t change for me.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 195)

“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. That fueled me until the day I hung up my sneakers.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 125)

“Over the course of 20 seasons, I suffered my fair share of serious injuries. The first thing I always thought about in those situations was, ‘What do I need to do to get back to 100 percent?’ That was my mindset. I never let fear or doubt seep into my psyche. I never whined and I never complained. I mean, for what?”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 172)

“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. Without it, I would not have an Emmy, I would not have an Oscar, I would not have creative dreams and visions still to unfold. Yeah, basketball took me everywhere. Now, I’m taking the game everywhere.”

Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 201)

“Kobe [Bryant] was a serial winner who could fire up his teammates and steel himself like a warrior monk. But few people have seen another side to Kobe: the man who performed Make-A-Wish requests after almost every home game—and many road games—throughout his career. I got to document a few of those nights when Kobe was there for kids and their families as a different kind of hero—one who understood the profound impact of basketball beyond simply winning and losing. Behind Kobe’s relentless determination was a gentle and sober compassion.”

Andrew Bernstein, via Mamba Mentality (Page 206)

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If you enjoyed these Kobe Bryant quotes from The Mamba Mentality then you should definitely check out his book in full. In addition to the deeper insights, you’ll also get to see the stunning photography of Andrew D. Bernstein, the NBA’s Hall of Fame photographer who captured Bryant’s very first photo as a Laker in 1996, his very last in 2016, and many thousands in between. It’s beautiful and comes highly recommended:

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