Kobe Bean Bryant was an inspiration to basketball players globally, including myself. His influence spread far beyond basketball though, and expands to anyone that pursues excellence in their particular field. CEO’s, Doctors, Lawyers, and hard workers in general are commonly quoted as saying they tapped into “Mamba Mentality” when facing some of their most difficult challenges.
It’s not hard to see why - listening to Kobe Bryant interviews or reading his quotes often inspires me to overachieve and try to exceed expectations in as many things as possible. There is a reason that he was a 5 time NBA Champion and one of the top 3 pure scorers in NBA history and it is not a mistake or coincidence. His maniacal work ethic and intense attention to detail is legendary in NBA circles - it seems like almost everyone in the NBA has a “Kobe Story”. He was known to show up to workouts 2-3 hours early and drenched in sweat by the time anyone else got there.
As a child, watching Kobe Bryant play basketball and listening to him speak influenced me to have a great work ethic as a player. The proof was in the pudding - he would score 30 + night in and night out while locking up the opposing team’s best player. There is a reason that he is considered by many as the most skilled basketball player of all time. From shooting, ball handling, footwork, and defense - he displayed a level of mastery rarely seen among his peers.
Being a huge fan, I used to watch his film and then go into the driveway to try and copy each play that he made - the highlight plays as well as the basic plays.
People like to use the words “motivate” and “inspire” (like I did above) but the more accurate description of Kobe’s approach is “disciplined”. Discipline is consistent and unwavering, whereas inspiration and motivation are fleeting and can come and go based on circ*mstances such as fatigue, happiness, and a plethora of other external factors. Discipline on the other hand is there regardless of anything external and it is the driving force behind a lot of success stories.
My biggest take away from being a Kobe Bryant super fan is the power of discipline and consistency. He was already on the way to dominating his second phase of life due to those traits and was doing an admirable job instilling it in his daughter Gianna.
Kobe’s approach to his craft may not be easy to replicate for most but it is a great example to learn from. As a basketball player he climbed to heights that most can only even dream of — many forget that he did not come into the league as a designated franchise player. He grew into that role through constant skill work and improvement every summer that eventually put him in the conversation as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Happy Belated Birthday to a legend and icon that gave so much to the game and so much to the world before his untimely passing.
