Particularly known for his unparalleled competitive spirit in basketball, Kobe Bryant transfigured into an adored global incarnation that will be revered for generations to come.
On the court, Kobe was a five-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, one-time MVP, two-time finals MVP, fifteen-time ALL-NBA teams selections, twelve-time ALL-Defensive teams selections, with eighteen All-Star appearances, all with one team, the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his twenty-year career. Kobe's basketball legacy would go down as one of the greatest of all time. Yet his greatest and most fulfilling achievements occurred off the court.
In 2015, Kobe wrote a poem named "Dear Basketball," his farewell letter to the game, which evolved into a short film that he narrated and won an Academy Award in 2018. That same year, he published his first book, "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play." The Mamba Mentality book teaches basketball "the right way" and provides a glimpse into the mind of Kobe Bryant. He breaks down images to the smallest detail, allowing you to see what he sees. Toward the end of the year, he directed and launched a children’s centered podcast called, "The Punies." The Punies encompasses his passion for storytelling in a way that enjoyably teaches kids valuable life lessons such as overcoming failure, teamwork, managing emotions, believing in yourself, problem-solving, and many other priceless moral values that are essential to child development!
Kobe was a philosopher, humanitarian, investor, fierce competitor, and, most of all, father. Kobe's unprecedented passion for his craft and helping others has greatly influenced the lives of millions worldwide, including my own.
I fell in love with the game of basketball in 2005 when I was seven years old. Basketball has always been my escape from life. It’s meditative in the sense that it immerses me into the present moment. I was too young to appreciate Kobe's greatness during his first set of title runs with Shaq. However, I was well aware of his back to back title runs in 2009 and 2010. I've always been a student of the game, and my first idolized player was actually Vince Carter, especially during his Toronto days. I was that kid who would spend hours on YouTube watching his favorite players and all their biggest moments. My intrinsic curiosity led me to study Kobe Bryant and dissect what made him so distinctive. I've been taught by my early mentors at HYPE Athletics to study my favorite players instead of following the ball when watching games — focusing on how they move without the ball, specific tendencies, body language, and how they prepare for each game. This approach evolved into me requiring to know them as a person and what they do off the court as well.
During my basketball days, Kobe was a player that I looked up to and tried to model my game after. As I got older, I realized how unique his mental approach was as he became a virtual mentor in my life. In 2016, Kobe retired from basketball at the same time I became very ill. While I was struggling to get through each day, he was transitioning his career toward serving others to reach their ultimate potential by extracting passion. Throughout my prolonged recovery, I've experienced suffering at a deep level, both mentally and physically. A state that I don't want to experience again and want to help others get out of or avoid experiencing themselves, which has ultimately led to this website. As we both transitioned into a different stage of our lives, we both realized the importance of helping others and taking the initiative to direct society in a positive direction through self-improvement.
From being a personal role model for the past thirteen years, I can't think of a better example of the type of person I want to become. The passing of Kobe Bryant deeply saddens me, particularly because you could see how happy he was with his family, and his second act was on track to be more influential and impactful than his first. At the prime age of 41, Kobe had so much life to live and insight to share with the world.
Gone, but never forgotten, here are eight heuristic lessons from the mind and philosophy of Kobe Bryant.
1) Work Ethic
Kobe had a drive to be great like no other. He lived by a quote from his high school English teacher Mr. Fisk, "Rest at the end, not in the middle." One of Kobe's original daily habits consisted of waking up at 3 am to train at 4 am before school while getting in another workout during the lunch period. When entering the NBA, he knew that his competition would get in two good workouts each day. Thinking long term, he chose to continue to wake up at 3 am to get an edge, understanding that his hard work or lack of hard work would compile over time.
Choosing not to take action is an action in itself.
Kobe had a true sense of self-awareness and lived in the present moment. He observed events as they occurred and acted accordingly. When he was focused on a task, he was immersed in that task only. No distraction could break his focus and throw him off. This consistent effort with an unyielding focus was the foundation for his success.
"Confidence comes from preparation."
— Kobe Bryant
2) Be A Sponge
Along with a relentless work ethic, Kobe had a hunger to improve and become the best version of himself. To improve at anything, you must ask questions. As a young player in the league, he picked the brains of his veterans to understand the game better. After the shattering defeat in the 2008 finals, he felt deficient and questioned if he'd ever make it into the finals again. After that night of doubt, he gathered himself the next day and questioned why they lost, where things specifically went wrong. When he tore his Achilles in 2013, he wondered if he would ever be able to play again and asked what he would do if his career were over. Being a sponge is a constant process of asking questions and breaking down ideas into the simplest form.
It's vitally important to understand the fundamental roots and trunk of a concept before you expand into specific branches and clusters of leaves.
These acts of curiosity helped him successfully overcome defeat and transition passions once he retired from basketball. He had a growth mindset to get one percent better each day and paid extreme attention to detail to the smallest degree. To sum up, Kobe questioned everything and learned from all his experiences, good and bad.
Experiences + Mindset = Growth
3) Embrace Failure
Failure should be viewed as exciting. Not to say that failure is enjoyable or that it feels better than success, but it's more exciting.
Failure is exciting because you learn more from failure than you do from success. Everything is perception. Acknowledge that the event happened and ask yourself what are you going to do about it. Rather than mourning your failures, utilize them as learning opportunities.
At age 11, Kobe debuted in Philadelphia in the famous Sonny Hill League. The same league that his father, uncle, and Wilt Chamberlin played in. Kobe didn't score a single point the entire summer. As he was crying, his father approached him and said, "Listen, whether you score zero or score sixty, I'm going to love you no matter what." After this humiliating failure and safeguard to fail from his father, Kobe was energized to score sixty and went straight to work. He cultivated a long-term plan of action and focused on mastering the fundamentals while his opponents relied on their athleticism. By age 14, he grew into his body and became the best player in the state. Instead of giving up after his failure of a scoreless summer, he learned from it and took advantage.
Learn to embrace that feeling of embarrassment or shame and channel it into motivation. When you fail at something truly important to you, you will do everything in your power to not repeat your mistakes; to improve and be better the next time. Get uncomfortable and pay attention to detail. Pinpoint every mistake and missed opportunity. Take action for the sake of your future self.
If you want to be great, then you must learn how to embrace failure.
"Most great people have achieved their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure."
— Napoleon Hill
4) Be Fearless
Kobe believed that the greatest fear we face is ourselves. We fear that we're not good enough, unpredictable uncertainty, and the thought of failure. We fear the pain of a lack of self-worth and love. Being fearless is putting yourself out into uncertainty. It's going after your passions and dreams despite any critics, including the one in your head. It's having the awareness that every opportunity and setback is a learning experience.
You can't allow others to tear you down. The truth is their opinions of you are irrelevant. If they don't have the experience or knowledge, then how can they know what's best? Consciously or subconsciously, others project their fears onto you. If they don't believe in their capabilities, then there's no way you can do it. Outsiders can't truly understand your vision and drive to achieve. Will Smith says it best, "You can't get advice on what you should do with your life. Nobody knows what you are. Even sometimes, you don't even know what you are."
Be fearless, clarify your intentions, cling to your "why," and remember that you're not doing it for anyone but yourself.
"There are more things that frighten us than injure us, and we suffer more in imagination than in reality."
— Seneca
5) Be Deliberate With Your Dreams
To accomplish your dreams, you must have confidence, a clear intention, and an actionable plan with an extreme passion for getting there. Many have an end goal but are unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices to get there. Some don't have an end goal at all. If you don't have a purposeful end goal, you'll wander aimlessly and never go anywhere.
Your dreams should scare you; otherwise, they're not big enough!
Before you start investing your time, clarify what's important to you and who you want to become. Kobe never wanted to become the next Jordan. He always wanted to be the first Kobe. The key is to break down your end goal into a multitude of short-term goals. You can't go from A straight to Z; instead, look at every challenge at every step. Take each day one step at a time with a disciplined work ethic. Become engrossed in your work. All of your attention and focus must be applied to each short-term goal; knowing your big picture and desired outcome is waiting for you on the other side.
Cultivate a long-term mindset and recognize that great things take time. Delayed gratification is much more fulfilling than instant satisfaction.
"Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world. "
— Joel Barker
6) Importance Of Youth
In 2018, Kobe Bryant and Chad Faulkner launched Mamba Sports Academy. This foundation provides an opportunity for males and females of all ages to unlock their full potential and embrace the Mamba Mentality. The Mamba Mentality is simply striving to be the best version of yourself every day. Don't compare yourself to others; only compare yourself to the person you were yesterday. The Mamba Academy achieves this by utilizing a full-circle approach that incorporates physical, performance, and cognitive training. In turn, transforming individuals into the best versions of themselves.
Kobe knew that our future relies on the youth of today, which is why he incorporated unique youth programs and launched The Punies podcast. Impacting the youth of society is very fulfilling, but he was the happiest when spending time with his family. So much that he chose to fly helicopters to and from practice during his time in the NBA. This transition occurred when traffic in Los Angeles became severe, and he missed a few of his kids after school activities. Helicopters allowed him the time to continue his 4 am training without compromising family time. Despite his hectic schedule, he always made time to take his kids to and from school because every moment matters, even if it’s just a 20-minute car ride.
I understand the importance of Kobe’s perspective and the value of using helicopters for those extra moments of family time from my experiences. My mom specifically engrained this principle in me. For driving intoxicated on multiple accounts, my dad was sentenced to a work-release program for a summer when I was seven. My mom would scoop me out of bed at 5 am every Saturday to drive an hour to jail. She always said, “This is for your dad, and this is your quality time with him.” We then had to pick him up every Sunday night, another two-hour round trip drive. She always stayed positive and reminded me that this was still quality family time, even though it was a car ride. My mom worked two jobs to support our family. She first cleaned offices then later decided to sell cosmetics through Mary Kay instead. Selling Mary Kay allowed her to work part-time from home, but it still consumed time away from the family. To make up for this lost time, she “employed” me, and I would clean her mirrors, pack the demo kits, and assemble promotional samples. My mother was also the one who drove me to school, basketball, and of course, any friend’s house because she always had to meet the parents!
Many outsiders would like to see Kobe’s children carry out his legacy on the basketball court, but that never mattered to him. Their happiness is what mattered to him. As a father, it was his duty to instill curiosity, imagination, the importance of hard work by example, and the truth that anything is possible into his children. With the right mental disposition, he exposed them to as many activities as possible until each gravitated towards something they love. He established that it’s the parents’ responsibility to expose their kids to as much as possible, positioning them to discover their passion and be successful.
“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
7) Human Connection
Midway through his career, Kobe learned the importance of compassion and empathy. It’s when “you put yourself to the side, and you put yourself in their shoes and understand what they’re feeling.” He utilized these techniques to discover what drives his teammates to become their best. This realization occurred after the heartbreaking 2008 finals loss to the Celtics. When reflecting on the team’s failure, he identified they lacked toughness. He then asked how they can improve their toughness for the next season. Realizing it was his responsibility to elevate the team, he invested his time in developing his compassion and empathy skills. Kobe became a true leader by understanding his teammates and identifying what buttons to push to motivate them.
Don’t get compassion and empathy confused with being soft either. Kobe’s teammate Pau Gasol was distraught when the USA basketball team won gold against Spain in the 2008 Olympics. Knowing that Pau’s country means everything to him, Kobe hung his gold medal in Pau’s locker on the first day of training camp the following season. As you can imagine, Pau was furious. Kobe explained, “Listen, Pau, you lost to the Celtics, you lost to us in a gold medal match, let’s not make this three in a row this year. Let’s win this thing.” This act pushed Pau to another level mentally as he upped his game to all-star status. He was especially tough on Pau because he knew what he was capable of and genuinely wanted the best for him; they had a brotherhood bond on and off the court.
This case of human connection and leadership lead the Lakers to back to back titles in 2009 and 2010. These qualities of compassion and empathy strengthened toward the end of his career and into retirement. In times of great uncertainty and distress, I believe we should all embody a little more compassion and empathy towards each other.
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?”
— Marcus Aurelius
8) Greatness
In Kobe’s words, the definition of greatness is “to inspire the people next to you… it’s not something that lives and dies with one person.” In other words, it’s inspiring others to find and better themselves who then, in turn, inspire those around them and so on.
Kobe was an inspiration on the court and even more off the court. He accomplished this through his passion for storytelling. Storytelling encompasses emotion, courage, inspiration, and purpose.
Stories originate from the roots of humanity and have the potential to shift the world into a better state of being.
Specifically, he aimed to tell stories in a way that challenges others to look internally and navigate a sense of self with the purpose of further advancing society and culture.
Greatness is accomplished collectively, not individually.
“You can do some phenomenal things individually, but they’ll never reach their full potential unless you do them collectively.”
— Kobe Bryant
It’s our responsibility to ensure Kobe’s greatness lives on. I challenge you to embrace the Mamba Mentality and eight lessons for the rest of the year.
Your mindset is your most invaluable asset.
Explore internally, identify, and confirm with clarity who you are, what you stand for, and what drives you. Establish an end goal and follow your passion throughout the good and bad times. Every decision you make should be in pursuit of your end goal.
If you are unsure where to start, take the first step with The Four I’s.
This exercise of self-discovery walks you through how to identify yourself, set obtainable goals, and become the person you were always meant to be.
On January 26th, 2020, Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and the lives of seven others passed in a helicopter crash.
