Kobe Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” is a rare mindset.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is one of the most respected defensive forces in NBA history. However, he is cautious about him or any players aligning themselves with Kobe Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality.” Green joined Shane Battier to discuss why the phrase holds unique significance.
Warriors’ Draymond Green and Shane Battier believe ‘Mamba Mentality’ cannot be used by everyone
Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. Yet, his success was not solely what set him apart. It was his work ethic and resilient mindset. Countless players work hard and exercise mental toughness, but Bryant’s intangibles were special.
Thus, Draymond Green is upset with players’ overused association with Bryant’s mentality. Green touched on this during his podcast with featured guest and former NBA champion Shane Battier.
“Everyone nowadays, people have a good game, and they’re like ‘yeah I channeled the Mamba Mentality,’ and I’m just like yo stop it, like don’t do that. That’s not okay,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show.
Furthermore, Green added, “If Kobe was still alive, I don’t think ya’ll would be saying that because [he] would call you out and tell you that’s not it.”
So if having a big scoring night does not represent the “Mamba Mentality”, then what does?
Shane Battier believes the mindset revolves around an unmatched level of consistent sacrifice, discipline, and execution.
“It’s a relentless pursuit of excellence…it’s about this is who I am every single time I step out on the court. And it’s the hardest thing. It’s the hardest thing in life, it’s the hardest thing in basketball…to be that dude every single time you laced ’em up,” Battier explained.
Bryant’s unique mentality is hard to replicate. Nevertheless, the legendary Lakers guard set the standard to inspire people in basketball and all walks of life to challenge benchmarks of excellence and exceed them.
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