Kobe Bryant wrote The Mamba Mentality, which has a foreword by Pau Gasol and an introduction by Phil Jackson.
The book delves into Kobe’s background and career as a basketball player, as well as his distinct style of play.
Below is a collection of most inspiring quotes from The Mamba Mentality book.
Table of Contents
The Mamba Mentality Quotes by Pau Gasol
“If you want to be a better player, you have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my game, but I also wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family time. So I decided to sacrifice sleep, and that was that.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“What separates great players from all-time great players is their ability to self-assess, diagnose weaknesses, and turn those flaws into strengths.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“The message was that if you want to win championships, you have to let people focus on what they do best while you focus on what you do best. For him, that was rebounding, running the floor, and blocking shots.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“One of the qualities that has made Kobe so successful, and always will, is his attention to detail. He always used to tell us: if you want to be a better player, you have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“Every team needs either a confrontational star player or coach. In San Antonio, Gregg Popovich was that guy and Tim Duncan was not. In Golden State, Draymond Green is the confrontational one; Steve Kerr is not. For us, Phil was not that type of person, so I provided that force. You always have to have that balance and counterbalance, and Phil and I were perfectly suited for each other in that way.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“Good coaches, however, teach you how to think and arm you with the fundamental tools necessary to execute properly.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
Other Book Quotes: The Raven Quotes by Edgar Allan Poe and Tao Te Ching Quotes by Lao Tzu
Quotes from The Mamba Mentality
“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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“The mindset isn’t about seeking a result—it’s more about the process of getting to that result. 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.” ― Pau Gasol, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play
“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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“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.” ~ Pau Gasol, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.
“It’s one thing to have talent, but another to have the drive to learn the nuances.” ~ Pau Gasol, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.
“A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“No matter what, people are going to like you or not like you. So be authentic, and let them like you or not for who you actually are.” ~ Pau Gasol, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play
“To do that, despite the injury, I had to maintain control and dictate where I was going to go with the ball and how I was going to play. I had to, even on one ankle, keep the advantage in my court and never let the defense force me to do something I didn’t want to do. That was the key here, and that’s the key always.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
Famous The Mamba Mentality Quotes
“You have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“The mindset isn’t about seeking a result—it’s more about the process of getting to that result. 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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“The only aspect that can’t change, though, is that obsession.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“You can manipulate an opponent’s strength and use it against them.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“One of the main takeaways was that you have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“Kobe knew that to be the best you need a different approach from everyone else.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
Inspiring The Mamba Mentality Quotes
“Some people, after all, enjoy looking at a watch; others are happier figuring out how the watch works.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“The key, though, is being aware of how you’re feeling and how you need to be feeling. It all starts with awareness.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“After all, greatness is not for everybody.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“You have to enter every activity, every single time, with a want and need to do it to the best of your ability.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“The only way I was able to pick up details on the court, to be aware of the minutiae on the hardwood, was by training my mind to do that off the court and focusing on every detail in my daily life. 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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“That’s the money right there, that thirst and quest for information and improvement.” ~ Pau Gasol, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.
Motivational The Mamba Mentality Quotes
“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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“Simply put, good coaches make sure you know how to use both hands, how to make proper reads, how to understand the game. Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them. That’s the same at every level.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“When everyone else was thinking it was time for bed, his mind was telling him it’s time to get ahead of the competition.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“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.” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
“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” ~ Kobe Bryant (quote from The Mamba Mentality).
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