Kobe Bryant was one of those superstars whose mentality was just different. We hear the term “Mamba Mentality” when we talk about Kobe Bryant. His hard work led him to 5 championships, and he wouldn’t have been the player he was without it. Kobe Bryant’s confidence in himself was unmatched, and that allowed him to step up in the brightest of lights.
Kobe Bryant’s belief in his abilities was simply on another level. A former teammate of Bryant’s, Lamar Odom, revealed that Kobe Bryant always believed that he was better than the person upon whose game he modeled his own: Michael Jordan. While most people obviously consider Michael Jordan the GOAT, some think that it is Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant got where he was by thinking that he was better than Jordan: perhaps it’s irrational confidence, but you don’t get to the top of the NBA world without believing in yourself.
He said he was better than Mike… You gotta understand his drive. There ain’t too many dudes that played in the NBA and that really mean it in their heart, like… ‘I’m gonna be better than LeBron James.’ And that’s where he chased his whole life. To be just as good or mentioned with Michael Jordan.
Lamar Odom’s words only reinforce how we view Kobe Bryant. There are only a few chosen players who get to the upper echelon of NBA greats and stand beside Michael Jordan himself. Kobe Bryant was definitely a legend that is viewed as an all-time great, and his legacy is cemented forever.
