The 24 Best Kobe Bryant Mamba Mentality Quotes

motivational quotes Nov 14, 2022

Become the best version of yourself with the Mamba Mentality

Kobe Bryant will always be remembered for all the points he scored, championships he won, vicious dunks, deadly mid-range game, and countless game-winners.

But beyond the accolades and career accomplishments, Kobe will be remembered for his Mamba Mentality that he inspired so many with.

The Mamba Mentality is the mindset that Kobe Bryant taught to the basketball world through his legendary work ethic and never-ending drive to be the best.

He exhibited this mindset from the beginning of his career all the way to the end, and that is why he was one of the greatest players to ever play.

In 2018, Kobe released a book called, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, which if you haven't read yet I highly recommend it. In it, Kobe talks about the meaning of the Mamba Mentality and gives countless examples of how to adopt this mindset for yourself.

I've put together a list of Mamba Mentality How I Play quotes as well as some others to hopefully inspire you to constantly strive to be the best version of yourself, to constantly strive for greatness.

But first, what exactly does Kobe mean by the Mamba Mentality?

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What is the Mamba Mentality?

According to Kobe, the Mamba Mentality means "to constantly try to be the best version of yourself.” He added, "It's a constant quest to try to better today than you were yesterday."

"Initially, I thought the phrase 'Mamba Mentality' was just a catchy hashtag that I'd start on Twitter. Something witty and memorable. But it took off from there and came to symbolize much more."

"Mamba" is a reference to Kobe's self-proclaimed alter-ego "The Black Mamba," which Kobe says he nicknamed himself after watching Quentin Tarantino's movie, Kill Bill."

"The mindset isn't about seeking a result -- it's more about the process of getting to that result," Kobe said. "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.

As with any mindset, The Mamba Mentality isn't something you just "turn on" when you feel like it. It's a way of life, as Kobe said.

Practice having a Mamba Mentality in your day to day life with everything you do and when it comes to basketball, it will be second-nature. With that said, here are the top Mamba Mentality quotes from Kobe Bryant.

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Kobe Bryant Quotes on Mamba Mentality

1. “To sum up what mamba mentality is, it means to be able to constantly try to be the best version of yourself.”

2. If you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear."

3. "I never tried to prove anything to someone else. I wanted to prove something to myself."

4. "Each moment of my life I was dreaming of how great I could be, and continued working hard. Each time I closed my eyes I could see me shining bright like a sun."

5. "If you don't believe in yourself, nobody else will."

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

7. "It’s the one thing you can control. You are responsible for how people remember you—or don’t. So don’t take it lightly."

8. "You can't stop people from trying to limit your dreams, but you can stop it from becoming a reality. Your dreams are up to you. I encourage you to always be curious, always seek out things you love and always work hard once you find it."

9. "We can always kind of be average and do what’s normal. I’m not in this to do what’s normal."

10. "Despite the fear, finish the job."

11. “My approach always was that I’d rather risk embarrassment now than be embarrassed later when I’ve won zero titles.”

12. “You have to enter every activity, every single time, with a want and need to do it to the best of your ability.”

13. "I can't relate to lazy people. We don't speak the same language. I don't understand you. I don't want to understand you."

14. "I saw you come in and I wanted you to know that it doesn’t matter how hard you work, that I’m willing to work harder than you."

15. "When we are saying this cannot be accomplished, this cannot be done, then we are short-changing ourselves. "

16. "The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win."

17. "When you make a choice and say, 'Come hell or high water, I am going to be this,' then you should not be surprised when you are that. It should not be something that is intoxicating or out of character because you have seen this moment for so long that when that moment comes, of course, it is here because it has been here the whole time because it has been [in your mind] the whole time."

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More Mamba Mentality How I Play Quotes

These quotes come from Kobe's book, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play. In his book, Kobe spoke about the keys to being successful, how to have an elite work ethic and more.

These quotes give a glimpse into the mind of Kobe and give you an idea of just how motivated he was to not just play in the NBA, but be one of the best to ever do it.

18. “If you really want to be great at something, you have to truly care about it. If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it.”

19. “If you want to be a better player, you have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more.”

20. “I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my game, but I also wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family time. So I sacrificed sleep, and that was that.”

21. “I never felt outside pressure. I knew what I wanted to accomplish, and I knew how much work it took to achieve those goals. I then put in the work and trusted in it. Besides, the expectations I placed on myself were higher than what anyone expected from me.”

22. “One of the main takeaways was that you have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light. Meaning: It takes a lot of work to be successful, and people will celebrate that success, will celebrate that flash.”

23. “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.”

24. "A lot of people say they want to be great, but they're not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out. That's totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody."

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