Mamba Mentality | Book Review

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Book by Kobe Bryant

OVERVIEW

The Mamba Mentality is a raw, informative look into the mindset of an elite athlete. Part basketball handbook, part motivational kick up the butt. It’s an easy read, with bite-sized topics interspersed with photos from his basketball career - I think it would be a book you could read a few times and learn something different each time.

 “The Mamba Mentality 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.”

The two main sections in the book are Process and Craft. 

Process shows us the HOW. You learn about Kobe’s routines, his mental preparation and the people who had the most impact on him. Kobe’s grit is what stands out here, from his ‘biblical’ workouts to his determination to learn and ask questions - he was always on a quest to be better, to improve, to be curious and to be self aware. Kobe reminds us that self-awareness includes listening to your body, training your mind, and being aware of your feelings - how you feel vs how you need to be feeling to be effective.

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the Process section:

• I didn't train just my body, I trained my mind too. 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. 
• Training yourself, and creating experiences in a low pressure zone allows you to perform better in the high pressure zones:  There’s something about being in a big arena when no one else is there. It gives me a sense of nirvana and also prepares me for the game. When I jogged out of the tunnel and the fans were screaming and it’s loud, the noise didn’t impact me. Mentally, I was able to remember the stillness of the earlier moment and carry that with me.

• The importance of holistic care and awareness of ourselves: Pain in one area of your body often stems from an imbalance somewhere else.

Craft takes us into the details of his basketball techniques and teachings. If you play ball, there’s some very practical advice. For those that don’t, it’s very easy to link the main concepts into something relevant for your own development journey. An example would be in the section titled “GOD GAVE US TWO HANDS”, Kobe talks about his aversion to having a weakness, for example he was right-handed, so from the age of 6 he trained his left hand as well. Then on the court years later he could do everything with both hands - dribbling, shooting, pivoting etc. The takeaway is that we should be prepared to play with everything we have, and work to develop and strengthen our weaknesses.

In the Craft section, what you clearly see is the dedication, in an incredibly detailed way to every aspect of his game.

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the Craft section:

• Taking stock of what's not working, and training yourself to improve: In that game, nerves weren’t the problem. I just wasn’t strong enough to get the ball there. My legs were spaghetti; they couldn’t handle that long of a season. How did I respond to that? By getting on an intense weight-training program. By the start of the next season, my legs and arms were stronger and I was ready to get it on.
• On EQ: The game is full of ebbs and flows—the good, the bad, and everything in between. With all that was going on around me, I had to figure out how to steel my mind and keep calm and centered. That’s not to say my emotions didn’t spike or drop here or there, but I was aware enough to recalibrate and bring them back level before things spiraled. I could do that in a way others couldn’t, and that was really key for me.
• On consistency and resilience: THE AGONY OF DEFEAT IS AS LOW AS THE JOY OF WINING IS HIGH. However, they’re the exact same to me. I’m at the gym at the same time after losing 50 games as I am after winning a championship. It doesn’t change for me.

   

BIGGEST LEARNING/INSIGHT FOR ME

What I took away from this book was solely around the grit, perseverance and consistency that Kobe applied to his life on and off the court. There’s a lot to inspire us all to take that focused approach on the path to greatness.

FAVOURITE QUOTE

“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.”

THOUGHT PROVOKERS

Questions to self-reflect on

• What do you want to be truly great at?

• What sacrifices are you willing to make to get there?

• What does a consistent, dedicated approach to greatness look like for you?

• What’s stopping you?

Get the book here: Amazon