In just 9 years in the NBA, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has already marked his place in sports history. With 2 MVPs, 6 All-Star appearances, and a championship to show for all his hard work, there is no doubt that Giannis has already put himself into the upper echelon of all-time great athletes.
And while his size, skill set, and natural feel for the game are all to credit for his success, it’s his mentality and approach to the game that has really allowed him to thrive at such a high level.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Cites His ‘Mamba Mentality’ As The Key To His Success
In a recent interview, the Milwaukee swingman invoked the name of Kobe Bryant to describe his attitude and work ethic when it comes to the game of basketball.
“I will never say this, I will never disrespect the name of the great Kobe. I don’t like mentioning him,” Antetokounmpo said. “I feel like he should be mentioned, should never be forgotten. But I don’t like mentioning his name to bring attention to the conversation that we are about to have. I wasn’t close to him. I wasn’t this with him or that with him. But I would say this, in some areas of his mindset, I think we’re very similar.”
“I might not be as talented as him, but when we’re talking about a guy that worked extremely hard from his first day until he retired. A guy that plays to win, a guy that pushes himself to the limit, a guy that has a killer mentality when he steps on the court,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s almost like having — I think he had two personalities. Like when we were on the sideline and we were talking and I was taking notes, laughing smiling, joking around, talking. But when we stepped on the court, It was like motherf—er didn’t even know me. ‘I thought you were like my friend.’”
Giannis did more than just play against Bryant. He trained with him, learned from him, and was mentored by him for years before eventually becoming a star himself.
“Again. Again. Again. Again,” Antetokounmpo remembered about his workout switch Bryant. “‘My bad, Kobe. How many more times are we gonna do it?’ Twenty-five. ‘OK, 25.’ No, 25 makes. Twenty-five makes on the same move?’ And it’s not like you’re just shooting. You’re going hard. I was like, damn, this guy is different.”
At this point, Giannis really has nothing left to prove. There is nothing the guy cannot do on the basketball court and he has delivered the greatest prize that a player can earn.
Still, he hungers for more, and his never-ending drive for success is what will no doubt keep him at the top of the league for years to come.
