By: Debadrita Ghosh Image credit: NBA and Twitter.
Although LeBron James is considered one of the most intelligent players in the NBA, Kobe Bryant has had the best work ethic the league had ever seen—with Michael Jordan serving as the sole comparable.
The five-time NBA champion was well-known because of his sterling personality and skill set, which are ideal for someone with the goal that the "Black Mamba" had. Even though James was prosperous, he had also experienced failures and Bryant had given him some stark advice.
Kobe Bryant in his book titled "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play," wrote: "The main thing LeBron and I discussed was what constitutes a killer mentality. He watched how I approached every single practice, and I constantly challenged him and the rest of the guys....."
Kobe also shared the locker room incident in his book, as he wrote, " In the second half, LeBron responded in a big way—he came out with a truly dominant mindset. And I’ve seen him lead that way ever since."
Once Kobe was asked in an interview about his message to LeBron James in terms of "killer mentality". Kobe replied: “Well the message is always to go out there and dominate. There’s no let-up. Once the game starts and once the practice begins, you’re in that mode. Where everything is a ‘Game 7’.
He further continued: "And when you approach every practice and every game with that kind of mentality, it bleeds into the rest of the guys. And then the rest of the unit has that same approach and that same intensity, but it starts at the top.”
Bryant's concentration on playing regardless of the situation, whether it be a practice session or "Game 7," is precisely why he was a genuine winner.
James once said that until he visited China with Kobe Bryant, he believed he was well-known. Everywhere, the 'Black Mamba' was worshipped as a deity. James then discovered that someone else was also obsessed with winning more than him.
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