"Get to league or die trying" - Jayson Tatum shares adopting Kobe Bryant's Mamba mentality on 'Plan B'

Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is one of the league's brightest stars of the modern era. Tatum doesn't shy away from sharing how people have inspired him to become an NBA star. One of the players he draws inspiration from is the late Kobe Bryant, who shared a lasting message when he was young.

On the "Point Forward" podcast recently, the Celtics star shared how Bryant inspired him at a young age. According to Tatum, the message that his favorite player shared encouraged him to pursue his dreams of making it to the league.

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"Growing up, I remember Kobe ... spoke at a camp one time, and he asked the kids what do they want to be when they grow up," Tatum recalled. "And then he asked the kids like, 'What's your second option?' And everybody kind of had a second option, and he kind of looked at them funny and was like, 'Man, I never had a plan B. Like people always told me disperse your eggs in different baskets.'

"He was like, 'Why would I not give all my time, energy and effort to the thing I'm trying to accomplish?' And that just resonated so much. Like, that was my favorite player, that's what I wanted to be like. So, in my mind, it was never a plan B. Even to this day, people say, like, 'What would you do?' And it's, like, 'Nothing.'

"Like, I was 50 Cent, 'Get Rich or Die Tryin'.' Like, a league or die trying, and I lived by that."

The late LA Lakers legend inspired an entire generation of stars who have made it to the league. During his time in the NBA, Bryant motivated players with his "Mamba Mentality." Nowadays, stars like Tatum attempt to live with the same mentality the five-time champion espoused.

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Jayson Tatum won the Player of the Month award

October was exciting in the NBA as many players put up memorable performances. Jayson Tatum was one of the players who played excellently, which is why he won the Player of the Month award.

Tatum stood out in the Eastern Conference as the four-time All-Star averaged 27.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists during October, leading the team to a 14-4 record.

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For the Western Conference, Nikola Jokic was given the Player of the Month award. Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a 13-6 record.

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