Mamba Monday | NO FEAR

In his book, The Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant wrote, “When it came to basketball, I had no fear.” He then wrote what that meant to him:

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.

As a kid, I would work tirelessly on adding elements to my game. I would see something I liked in person or on film, go practice it immediately, practice it more the next day, and then go out and use it. By the time I reached the league, I had a short learning curve. I could see something, download it, and have it down pat.

From the beginning, I wanted to be the best.

I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best. I never needed any external forces to motivate me.

During my rookie year, at first, some scouting reports said I wasn’t tough. 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.

I didn’t need that extra push to be great, though. From day one, I wanted to dominate. My mindset was: I’m going to figure you out. Whether it was AI, Tracy, Vince—or, if I were coming up today, LeBron, Russ, Steph—my goal was to figure you out. And to do that, to figure those puzzles out, I was willing to do way more than anyone else.

That was the fun part for me.

(Excerpt From The Mamba Mentality. This material may be protected by copyright.)

Kobe’s mindset allowed him to manage the natural fear we all have in the most productive way - he focused on getting better and the work more than anything. When we are focused on the work and being the best we can be, there isn’t a lot of room for thinking about fear or what you are afraid of.

THIS WEEK

1 - Fear is a part of life. The key is conquering fear and not letting fear conquer us. How do you overcome fear?

2 - When you are faced with obstacles, like fighting for a spot on the team, what is your mindset and approach?

3 - What is something you can take from Kobe's message?