WCP: Kobe Bryant (RIP) The Mamba Mentality

Fans and players alike often referred to Kobe Bryant as The Black Mamba which has been shortened to simply Mamba in recent years. The meaning of Bryant’s Mamba nickname comes from an alter-ego that the legendary player created to try to give himself another edge on the basketball court. Bryant detailed the origins of The Black Mamba in a documentary entitled “Muse.”

“I had to separate myself,” Bryant said, per Business Insider. “It felt like there were so many things coming at once. It was just becoming very, very confusing. I had to organize things. So I created The Black Mamba.”

Bryant went on to explain his thought process behind creating the Mamba Mentality. 

“It was just f— everyone,” Bryant explained. “I’m destroying everybody that steps on the court. I had all this pent up frustration that I just needed to let out. It was an avalanche, man. There was nothing that was going to get in the way. There was nothing that was going to stop me.”

After his retirement from the NBA, Bryant spoke to a number of different teams across various sports about developing the Mamba Mentality along with his leadership philosophy. Former NBA player Richard Jefferson noted on ESPN that the Mamba Mentality was a “singular focus to attack your goals.”