Kobe Bryant was different. He was a different kind of person, a different competitor and he never hesitated to show the world his mentality and all the things he believed were necessary for people to succeed, either in basketball or in life in general.
He didn’t have any problem teaching the young generations, unlike Michael Jordan, but Kobe always expects excellence from his pupils and his teammates. Back in 2012, the Black Mamba addressed people’s thoughts of how hard he went on his teammates, criticizing his leadership in the Lakers dressing room.
The 5x NBA champion wrote a lengthy post on Facebook in which he explained he didn’t expect nothing but the best from his teammates since hard work and perseverance are the only way to accomplish meaningful things.
“Leadership is responsibility.
There comes a point when one must make a decision. Are YOU willing to do what it takes to push the right buttons to elevate those around you? If the answer is YES, are you willing to push the right buttons even if it means being perceived as the villain? Here’s where the true responsibility of being a leader lies. Sometimes you must prioritize the success of the team ahead of how your own image is perceived. The ability to elevate those around you is more than simply sharing the ball or making teammates feel a certain level of comfort. It’s pushing them to find their inner beast, even if they end up resenting you for it at the time.
I’d rather be perceived as a winner than a good teammate. I wish they both went hand in hand all the time but that’s just not reality. I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.
This is my way. It might not be right for YOU but all I can do is share my thoughts. It’s on YOU to figure out which leadership style suits you best.
Will check back in with you soon.. Till then
Mamba out,” he wrote in October 2012.
Maybe that’s the reason why he won five NBA championships in seven trips to the Finals. Kobe was always trying to succeed, to be better than before in any aspect of his life. He is one of the greatest players this game has seen and nothing will change that.
After he retired from basketball, he pursued new challenges and was successful at them, as well. Perhaps you can say his feud with Shaq was unnecessary or the way he treated his Lakers teammates wasn’t the right one, but that personality, that mindset took him to be one of the GOATS of basketball.
