10 NBA players with Kobe's Mamba Mentality
So what actually is the Mamba Mentality?
Kobe Bryant, also known as the "Black Mamba", is the man behind the "Mamba Mentality". Bryant is known for having the greatest basketball mind and IQ. Kobe described his Mamba Mentality during his most recent shoe release as:
Mamba mentality is a constant quest to find answers. It’s that infinite curiosity to want to be better, to figure things out. Mamba mentality is you’re going, you’re competing, you’re not worried about the end result.
You’re not worried about what people may say. You’re not worried about disappointing others. You’re not worried about any of that, you’re just focused on being in the moment. That’s what mamba mentality truly is.
That means Mamba mentality is all about finding yourself in the run. You work, you fail, you get back up, but you never regret what you're doing or what people think about you. You try to live in the present and you are never afraid of the end result, and that's what Mamba Mentality is.
Playing with the Mamba Mentality is not an easy task, it takes courage, discipline, and the desire to become something bigger than oneself. A person with the Mamba Mentality is ready for any challenge or obstacle in front of him and is afraid of nothing.
The Mamba Mentality, in its own way, is a broad definition and fits some NBA players who showcase it both on and off the court. A majority of these players give their shout out to Bryant by wearing his sneakers in games.
The 10 players are:
#10 Kyrie Irving - Boston Celtics
We've seen Kyrie Irving in the 2016 NBA Finals breaking down the code for taking down the Golden State Warriors. He knocked down the clutch 3-pointer in the Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals which helped the Cleveland Cavaliers clinch the NBA Championship for the first time in franchise history.
Averaging 27.1 points in the 2016 NBA Finals and taking responsibility of another Finals in 2017, truly shows the hidden Mamba instincts inside Irving. Not to mention, his desire to be in the driving seat of another team (Boston Celtics) and not restrict his talents to Cleveland.
Kyrie is a huge Kobe Bryant fan. During the 2015-16 NBA season, when Kyrie was out due to the knee injury in the 2015 NBA Finals, he was in touch with Kobe all-season-long and during the playoff in 2016 too. In the 2016 Finals, Kobe sent texts to Irving to keep him motivated and we witnessed the impact of that in the Finals.
After the finals, Irving credited Bryant for his performance and recently he gave tribute to Bryant with a Nike Kyrie 3 "Mamba Mentality" colorway. Their friendship started back in 2012 before the London Olympics and since then Kobe helped Irving in building the Mamba Mentality in him.