“I wasn’t invited to parties on the weekend” – 17-year-old Kobe Bryant once described his ‘lonely hours’
Kobe Bryant, the Black Mamba, was born in 1978 in Philadelphia into a family where sports were highly valued. His father, Joe "Jellybean"' Bryant, played for the Philadelphia Sixers for eight years. In 1984, when Kobe was only six years old, his family moved to Italy, opening a new chapter in his life.
Bryant found life in Italy to be a stark contrast to what he was used to. He had no friends and had to learn a new language. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When other kids his age were having fun, Kobe was dribbling his basketball and playing soccer.
In an interview, Kobe reminisced,
"Growing up in Italy, when I first moved over there, I didn’t speak Italian, I didn’t have any friends. I had the game of basketball, and through sport, through soccer, I was able to make friends and build connections. But it was a lot of time spent alone."
How Kobe's childhood loneliness created the Black Mamba
Kobe Bryant later said:
"I wasn't invited to parties or friendly gatherings on the weekend," Bryant said. "So, on Fridays and Saturdays, I would go to my rec room and basically dribble myself to sleep. I think that was the best thing to have happened to me, because during those lonely hours in the rec room, I discovered the motivation and the hunger and desire to be the best basketball player I could be."
Bryant developed his famous work ethic in Italy, waking up at 6 a.m. to go to the gym. The rest of the junior team would show up two hours later to find him drenched in sweat.
Kobe Bryant's father retired from professional basketball in 1992. The family moved back to the USA, and Kobe found himself alone once again.
Being a 13-year-old from Europe, he was an outsider to the other kids. He could not identify with the slang used by the local kids nor the popular TV and music cultural references.
What he did have, however, was a relentless work ethic. He led his high school team to its first state championship in 53 years. At only 17 years old, Kobe went from high school directly to the NBA.
Kobe Bryant used his loneliness to better himself. He turned adversity into opportunity. According to Bryant, his outlook on life referred to as the Mamba Mentality, means to try to be one's best version constantly.