Kobe Bryant’s “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” is a captivating look into the legend’s thought process.
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant is a fantastic and educational book for both basketball fans and players.
In it, Bryant details his life and mindset as a professional basketball player.
He uses photos that were taken throughout his career to break down what he was thinking or doing during a play or to explain why he did a certain exercise the way he did.
This is by far one of my favorite basketball books because it’s about my favorite player and because Kobe goes into depth about what it takes to be the best basketball player in the world.
He talks about the sacrifices he made so he could put in an immense amount of hours to perfect his skills so that he could exploit his opponents.
Additionally, he occasionally gives tips and tricks for how to execute certain moves or plays, which I really enjoyed.
He also talks about the constant studying he had to do to learn the rules of the game, how it’s officiated and his opponents’ tendencies so that he could manipulate them, which was fascinating.
This book goes deep into his mindset and I’ve never read anything like it. I don’t think I’ve read about anyone like him: a person who was that driven to be a legendary basketball player. It’s unique.
The 42 Best Quotes from “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” by Kobe Bryant
But to give you a better glimpse of what goes on in the book, here are some of the things Kobe talks about:
“What I mean by that is: if I wanted to implement something new into my game, I’d see it and try incorporating it immediately. I wasn’t scared of missing, looking bad, or being embarrassed. That’s because I always kept the end result, the long game, in my mind. I always focused on the fact that I had to try something to get it, and once I got it, I’d have another tool in my arsenal. If the price was a lot of work and a few missed shots, I was OK with that.”
“The first time I went to the basket in games, I’d get hit and the defense would think they had me. I’d come back the very next play and pick up an offensive foul just to send them a message.”
“My mindset was: I’m going to figure you out.”
“Over the years, my routine might have changed some but my philosophy never did. If something has worked for other greats before you, and if something is working for you, why change it up and embrace some new fad? Stick with what works, even if it’s unpopular.”
“I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my game, but I also wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family time. So I decided to sacrifice sleep, and that was that.”
“Film study eventually became imagining alternatives, counters, options, in addition to the finite details of why some actions work and others don’t work.”
“By reading, by paying attention in class and in practice, by working, I strengthened my focus. By doing all of that, I strengthened my ability to be present and not have a wandering mind.”
“The key, though, is being aware of how you’re feeling and how you need to be feeling. It all starts with awareness.”
“If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it.”
“That’s the best advice I can give: listen to your body, and warm up with purpose.”
“My cardio workouts centered around recovery—that is, the time it takes to recover in between sprints. The reason I placed an acute focus on that element is because basketball dictates short bursts where you run as fast as you can, then have a moment to recover, then burst again.”
“My approach always was that I’d rather risk embarrassment now than be embarrassed later, when I’ve won zero titles.”
“I found that, yes, this work might be strenuous on the day-to-day, but it left me stronger and more prepared during the dog days of the season and the playoffs.”
“The only aspect that can’t change, though, is that obsession. You have to enter every activity, every single time, with a want and need to do it to the best of your ability.”
“After researching the matter, it became apparent that tap dancing was going to be the best way to build up my ankle strength while simultaneously improving my foot speed and rhythm.”
“I always admired Magicʼs cross-court bounce passes. I wondered how he was able to throw them and eventually learned. The secret was the backspin he put on the ball, which allowed him to zip the ball through the defense and have it bounce up softly into a striding teammateʼs hands.”
“The other key to his passing game was anticipation. Magic would throw passes before people would even realize that they were open. He could do that because he could read defenses and see plays as they were unfolding.”
“The other key to his passing game was anticipation. Magic would throw passes before people would even realize that they were open. He could do that because he could read defenses and see plays as they were unfolding.”
“The message was that if you want to win championships, you have to let people focus on what they do best while you focus on what you do best.”
“Coaches are teachers. Some coaches—lesser coaches—try telling you things. Good coaches, however, teach you how to think and arm you with the fundamental tools necessary to execute properly. Simply put, good coaches make sure you know how to use both hands, how to make proper reads, how to understand the game.”
“Based on that and your own feel for the game, you utilize some of that information immediately and you save some of it in your back pocket for crucial moments during the game. Then, when the time is right … boom!”
“When they do that, it creates dead zones, areas on the floor where they can’t see certain things. I learned where those zones were, and I took advantage of them. I would get away with holds, travels, and all sorts of minor violations simply because I took the time to understand the officials’ limitations.”
“I liked challenging people and making them uncomfortable. That’s what leads to introspection and that’s what leads to improvement. You could say I dared people to be their best selves.”
“The mindset isn’t about seeking a result—it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life. I do think that it’s important, in all endeavors, to have that mentality.”
“The key was knowing how to move the defense with just my feet and my eyes and the positioning of my body, by knowing how to manipulate them left or right without having to put the ball on the floor.”
“A lot of players solely focused on improving off the dribble, but I also always placed added emphasis on playing off the catch. I learned that approach when I was young, in Europe.”
“Only after mastering pivots—reverse pivots, inside reverse pivots, outside reverse pivots—did I work on the sexier between-the-legs, behind-the-backs, and crossovers.”
“The easiest way to understand what to expect is by watching film and learning how individual players like to set screens, because everyone does it differently. Once you know that—where on the court they like to set it, the timing, the angle—you can start plotting an offensive defense to get around them and negate their screen.”
“The one thing I specifically picked up from Shaq was his physicality, his brute force. Despite being a guard, I wanted players to be sore, to be beat up, after guarding me for 48 minutes. That would give me the mental advantage the next time we matched up.”
“It’s weird, actually—fundamentals aren’t really fundamental anymore. A lot of players don’t understand the game or the importance of footwork, spacing. It’s to the point where if you know the basics, you have an advantage on the majority of players.”
“He explained I had to slide, not run, through the screen and to do so I had to make myself as small as I could and move my feet as quickly as possible. Almost, he explained, like a sheet of paper going through a door.”
“When it came to blocking my shots, KG would try to use his arms and length. He was aware that he didn’t have a strong frame, so he wouldn’t use his body, but he would definitely use his length and cover the rim and shield the rim. He would move away from me, to protect his body from contact, and to block the best angles.”
“For some people, I guess, it might be hard to stay sharp once you’ve reached the pinnacle. Not for me, though. It was never enough. I always wanted to be better, wanted more. I can’t really explain it, other than that I loved the game but had a very short memory. That fueled me until the day I hung up my sneakers.”
“The Spurs fool you into believing that there is going to be contact when you drive to the basket, then—poof—there isn’t. They contest shots by jumping straight up, all the time.”
“He understood how to use his hands and block the vision of the player with one hand while using the other as a threat to steal the ball, or shield it. He also had great balance and used that to his advantage. The way I defend, in fact, can be attributed to Clyde. (And MJ, of course.)”
“You want to, obviously, establish a good base and get your body in front of the opposition. But you also want to make sure you get lower than their hips so you can move them and alter their positioning. If you try doing that at the shoulders, it won’t work because they’re stronger at the top.”
“If I would have wanted to cut the corner and go to the basket, I would’ve rotated my toes to apply more torque. In that way, footwork on-court is comparable to the way you use your head while riding a motorcycle.”
“Once I established my limitations, I’d adjust my gameplan accordingly. Occasions like that are reminders why you need to have a well-rounded game, why you need to be able to do everything with both hands, off of either foot, whether you’re 30 feet from the basket or in the post.”
“I had to figure out how to steel my mind and keep calm and centered. That’s not to say my emotions didn’t spike or drop here or there, but I was aware enough to recalibrate and bring them back level before things spiraled.”
“You can pick up a nuance or weakness by studying tape and paying attention during workouts. In fact, I was constantly scouting teammates and opponents. I would learn how physically complete their game was, how perseverant they were, and identify weaknesses right there and then. I would file that away until we eventually played against each other.”
“What separates great players from all-time great players is their ability to self-assess, diagnose weaknesses, and turn those flaws into strengths.”
“Without hoops, I would not understand how to create or write, I would not understand human nature, nor would I know how to lead. The game, in essence, taught me the art of storytelling. Without it, I would not have an Emmy, I would not have an Oscar, I would not have creative dreams and visions still to unfold.”
Final Thoughts
Kobe Bryant is a legend.
He won the NBA championship title 5 times, won the MVP award once and the FInals’ MVP award twice, and was voted to be an NBA All-Star 18 times.
He was also a 15-time All-NBA player, a 12-time All-Defensive player and a 2-time scoring champion.
And the book illustrates how and why he was able to receive all of those accolades.
So, if you’re interested in reading The Mamba Mentality: How I Play and looking at the beautiful photographs in it, you can click here (affiliate link) to buy a copy from Amazon.