When your expectations are highest, what others think or expect of you loses any semblance of pressure. High-performing athletes tend to have expectations that are higher than those on the outside.

The only expectations that matter are yours

High-performing athletes don’t shy away from improving their weaknesses. They don’t ignore because they aren’t good at it, or prefer to avoid the frustration that comes with developing a new skill. They view weaknesses as strengths in waiting.

Attack your weaknesses

Mamba mentality is more of an approach than anything else. It's about attacking what's in front of you with passion and purpose, without fear and doubt and without an ounce of quit. No matter what it is, good/bad; success/failure that's your approach. That's what it means to have mamba mentality.

Beast

Out-working everyone else provides a level of mastery and confidence that you cannot fake. When you work harder than the next player or team, you develop a true sense of competency. It becomes a point of pride. You may not be as talented as the next guy or gal, but there’s no excuse for not giving your absolute best.

Outwork the competition

Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise.

The Mamba Mentality came to transcend basketball—it applies to anyone who is striving to achieve greatness in her field. There is no single definition, but over time, it came to represent a mindset that encompasses hard work, obsessive preparedness, and dogged persistence on the journey to achieving a goal.

Greatness

The Mamba Mentality isn’t a result. It’s not a championship trophy. It’s not a game winning shot. It’s the daily process that goes into building those things. Everything that flows from that mindset and that process is just a by-product.

Defend your process

If you're afraid to fail, then you're probably going to fail

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is Kobe Bryant’s personal perspective of his life and career on the basketball court and his exceptional, insightful style of playing the game—a fitting legacy from the late Los Angeles Laker superstar. In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever. In his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career. Bryant’s detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the Lakers and NBA official photographer, captured Bryant’s very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016—and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a unique, twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer. The combination of Bryant’s narrative and Bernstein’s photos make The Mamba Mentality an unprecedented look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating athletes.

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

books

Books

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is Kobe Bryant’s personal perspective of his life and career on the basketball court and his exceptional, insightful style of playing the game—a fitting legacy from the late Los Angeles Laker superstar. In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever. In his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career. Bryant’s detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the Lakers and NBA official photographer, captured Bryant’s very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016—and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a unique, twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer. The combination of Bryant’s narrative and Bernstein’s photos make The Mamba Mentality an unprecedented look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating athletes.

Kobe Bryant is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Kobe Bryant has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Kobe Bryant's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.