The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

by Kobe Bryant

I always felt like if I started my day early, I could train more each day. If I started at 11, I’d get in a few hours, rest for four hours, and then get back to the gym around 5 to 7. But if I started at 5 AM and went until 7, I could go again from 11 until 2 and 6 until 8. By starting earlier, I set myself up for an extra workout each day. Over the course of a summer, that’s a lot of extra hours in the gym.

At the same time, starting early helped me balance basketball and life. When my kids woke up in the morning I was there, and they wouldn’t even know I had just finished at the gym. At night, I’d be able to put them to bed, then go work out again during my own time, not theirs.

I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my game, but I also wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family time. So I decided to sac...

The biggest element that changed over time, however, was I went from watching what was there to watching for what was missing and should have been there. I went from watching what happened to what could have and should have happened. 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.

As evidence of this, look at my retirement ceremony and who was there. That will tell you how I managed to get my jerseys up there. You had Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, James Worthy. Those guys taught me the lessons that gave me an edge over my competition.

That’s why I think it’s so important to have those mentors, those north stars, who you learn from and look up to.

MY MENTAL PREPARATION VARIED

BASED ON MY HEADSPACE.

It varied based on where I thought my head needed to be for ...

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 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. 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.

What I’m saying is greatness isn’t easy to achieve. It requires a lot of time, a lot of sacrifices. It requires a lot of tough choices. It requires your loved ones to sacrifice, too, so you have to have an understanding circle of family and friends. People don’t always understand just how much effort from how many people goes into one person chasing a dream to be great.

There’s a fine balance between obsessing about your craft and being t...

It’s akin to walking a tightrope. Your legs are shaky and you’re trying to find your center. Whenever you lean too far in one direction, you correct your course and end up overleaning in the other direction. So, you correct by leaning the other way again. That’s the dance. You can’t achieve greatness by walking a straight line. Respect to ...

I ALWAYS STARTED OFF MY ROUTINE CLOSE TO THE BASKET.

I never had a set routine, an ironclad formula that I practiced night after night. I listened to my body and let it inform my warmup, because there are always variables. If I felt the need to shoot extra jumpers, I’d shoot more. If I felt the need to meditate, I’d meditate. If I felt the need to stretch for a longer duration, I’d stretch. And if I felt the need to rest, I’d sleep. I always listened to my body. That’s the best advice I can give: listen to your body, and warm up with purpose.

There’s something about being in a big arena when no one else is there.

I COULD RUN ALL DAY LONG.

If you want to be a great basketball player, you have to be in great shape. Everyone talks about the fancy workouts and training sessions, but I also worked relentlessly to make sure that my legs and lungs were always at peak performance.

I ASKED A TON OF QUESTIONS.

I was curious. I wanted to improve, learn, and fill my head with the history of the game. No matter who I was with—a coach, hall of famer, teammate—and no matter the situation—game, practice, vacation—I would fire away with question after question.

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

JUST DO IT.

I never thought about my daily preparation. It wasn’t a matter of whether it was an option or not. It was, if I want to play, this is what I have to do, so I’d just show up and do it.

My routine was grueling. It involved early mornings...

It’s—no lie—tiring.

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.

I’d need a quick nap

I always found that short 15-minute catnaps gave me all the energy I’d need for peak performance.

BREAKDOWN IS AS IMPORTANT AS SETUP.

Right after the buzzer sounds, a lot of people shower and change as quickly as they can. For me, though, there was more work to be done.

Again, it’s important to listen to your body and let it dictate your daily prep.

I’d use the quiet break to catch up on reading, always studying to improve my game.

Over time, I developed a very particular routine. I would start with four minutes of cold—I mean cold—water and switch to three minutes of hot. Then, I would go with three minutes of cold, two minutes of hot. The sequence would continue, two cold, one hot, before ending with one minute in the cold water. This was only one small part of my process to prepare for battle.

Pain in one area of your body often stems from an imbalance somewhere else.

it’s important to treat the root cause and not the effect.

I would begin stretching a couple of hours before games.

MY ROUTINE CHANGED OVER TIME; MY APPROACH DIDN’T.

I always tried to train and prepare intelligently, but as I got older my pre- and post-game routine evolved. When you’re younger, you work on explosive things and as you get older your focus shifts to preventive measures. That’s all par for the course.

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...

WE ALL GOT READY FOR GAMES DIFFERENTLY.

When Shaq and I played together, generally, we’d get taped at the same time. That would give us an opportunity to joke and goof around or to talk crap. For Shaq and me, as anchors of the team, this would help get us up and ready for the game.

More than that, this would set the tone for the team. The energy of the club is all sitting right there. This was our moment to smile and laugh. As the game drew closer, we got serious. That dichotomy, that changing of a...

JUDY SETO

That’s a name I want to remember. Who is she?

When I was a rookie, Judy Seto was a young up-and-comer. One time, after I tweaked an ankle, she was assigned to me. It immediately became apparent to me that she was as obsessive about training as I was about basketball, and we formed an immediate and unbreakable bond.

Everyone who helps you, matters.

Over the years, we both continued to learn and grow in our individual crafts. In doing so, we were able to push each other to be our best.

This is a perfect example of surrounding yourself with like-minded people with like-minded goals.

It’s safe to say I would not have been able to play as well or as long without her as my physical therapist. She helped me recover from every single surgery I ever had, and she was always there for me. Literally. Whether it was a family vacation to Italy or a Nike trip to China, Judy came with me. She was that indispensable.

In these few paragraphs, I’ve learned so much about the bond between Kobe and Judy.

GARY VITTI WAS CRUCIAL

First of all, Gary was an Italian craftsman with tape. He just made art out of tape jobs.