The legacy of Kobe Bryant and the Mamba Mentality

Kobe Bryant will be remembered for a lot of things as his legacy lives on with them all stemming from one thing: his coveted Mamba Mentality.

“You asked for my hustle, I gave you my heart”- Kobe Bryant

These words are part of what made Kobe Bryant a legend, whose death has had an immense impact on the world and the game of basketball. Beyond his incredible ability and basketball accomplishments, it is what he brought to the game that fans of Kobe will appreciate the most as we reflect on his legacy of greatness.

His relentless tenacity and work ethic became a legendary representation of his greatness and became known as Mamba Mentality.

What was Mamba Mentality?

It became a slogan that meant having a consistent focus on your goals and always finding a way to get better no matter what. He showed this through the entirety of his 20-year basketball career which made him a revered and feared player.

Anyone familiar with Kobe’s work ethic is aware of the 4 a.m. workouts along with his detail and focus on finding ways to improve his game. As fans, this is what made us appreciate him as every shot he made or award he won was earned through working harder than anyone ever could.

On the basketball court is where the meaning of Mamba Mentality was rooted but as Kobe continued his life and career it became so much more. He was determined to make his post NBA career as prolific as his Hall of Fame basketball career.

His true testament of greatness was always looking towards and embracing the next challenge, which eventually became his plans for his post-basketball career. It was no surprise to many that he became the first athlete to win an Oscar, as it was clear that once Kobe put his mind on a goal, he would do whatever it takes to see it through.

This was Kobe Bryant’s unique quality that inspired so many of his fans in ways that not many athletes ever could. For those who were inspired by Kobe, we saw the way he pushed himself to be greater and that in turn made us want to push to unlock the greatness in ourselves.

What does Mamba Mentality mean for the future?

As we move forward in a world without Kobe, it’s hard to imagine what life will be like as even weeks after his death the sports world feels irreparably shaken by his loss.

Many of us never had the chance to meet but felt the pain of his loss as if we lost a dear friend. What, better way to honor someone who had such a phenomenal impact in your life than to turn that inspiration into action. Whenever a death occurs a common phrase is that life is short, meaning that it is important to take advantage of every day.

Arguably, no one made the most out of every day he lived than Kobe as he worked as if every day could be his last and let nothing get in his way. The best way to honor Kobe and what Mamba Mentality truly means is to embrace every day into whatever you want to achieve in life.

The work he put in to inspire the world is what allowed Kobe to be great, the beauty of inspiration is the feeling that is placed in the hearts of others.