Miami Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis appeared on the latest episode of The OGs show, where he spoke about his admiration for Kobe Bryant and the Mamba Mentality. Former Heat forward and co-host Udonis Haslem loved hearing that, but he believes a lot of players don’t actually understand what Mamba Mentality means.
“I’m happy you said Mamba Mentality, and I’m pretty sure you might mean it,” Haslem said. “But I feel a lot of people say that and don’t mean it. They really [don’t] know what that mentality means… Kobe was a f***ing killer. He wasn’t trying to be friends with nobody. He wasn’t trying to be liked by nobody.
“He wasn’t trying to do none of that, Kobe was a f***ing killer,” Haslem continued. “So when you young guys say Mamba Mentality and then go help the motherf****** up on the other team that fell, that is not Mamba Mentality and you’re not a killer. So stop it. So hands up, don’t help nobody up.”
Haslem isn’t the first to say this out loud. Former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers once aggressively called out players who claim to have Bryant’s Mamba mentality. Myers went as far as to say that no one should be allowed to say that, adding that the Los Angeles Lakers icon was one of one.
Bryant just wasn’t interested in being friends with his teammates or opponents. He was driven by his obsession with basketball and was determined to be the best version of himself.
Bryant pushed himself to the limits to get better and ended up having an incredible career. He won five titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles in 20 seasons with the Lakers. He also made 18 All-Star, 15 All-NBA, and 12 All-Defensive teams.
As for what exactly this Mamba Mentality is that helped Bryant achieve all this, he spoke about it during an interview with Amazon Book Review in 2018.
“Mamba mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most,” Bryant said. “It’s the ultimate mantra for the competitive spirit. It started just as a hashtag that came to me one day, and it’s grown into something athletes — and even non-athletes — embrace as a mindset.”
“Hard work outweighs talent — every time,” Bryant added. “Mamba mentality is about 4 a.m. workouts, doing more than the next guy, and then trusting in the work you’ve put in when it’s time to perform. Without studying, preparation, and practice, you’re leaving the outcome to fate. I don’t do fate.”
Bryant had released an autobiographical book titled “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” in 2018, and it gives more insight into his life and basketball career. Klay Thompson revealed he read the book every day during his injury rehab and it is indeed an interesting read.
While the likes of Myers believe no one should claim to have this Mamba Mentality, Bryant, who passed away in a helicopter accident in 2020, would have disagreed with that. He once stated on X that Isaiah Thomas, the former Boston Celtics guard, played with the Mamba Mentality.
Bryant wasn’t shy about passing wisdom once he retired and took a lot of players like Kyrie Irving under his wing. He tried to instill that same mindset in them, and you could argue he succeeded with Irving.
