The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant: mindset for body and everyday life

I was in the middle of reading Kobe Bryant’s book when he tragically died in a helicopter crash along with eight others, including his daughter. Kobe Bryant was an extraordinarily dedicated person who never did anything by halves. His passionate and inspiring spirit lives on, among other places, in this fantastic book: The Mamba Mentality.

What it is about

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is an atypical biography. It does not follow Kobe Bryant’s life chronologically, but instead focuses on his experiences on the basketball court and on how he became the player he ended up being. In the book he dives into the smallest details and explains his perspective in carefully chosen situations.

There are photos on every page, taken by the famous sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is a foreword from the legendary coach Phil Jackson as well as Kobe’s former teammate Pau Gasol. Beyond that, the book is split into two main sections, called Process and Craft. All the way through, it is full of thoughts and feelings about how you can train your own mindset, and how Kobe Bryant did it throughout his career.

What the Mamba Mentality is

Mamba Mentality is a term Kobe Bryant coined himself. It comes from his nickname in the basketball world, where he was called The Black Mamba. Kobe embraced that nickname while he played in the best basketball league in the world, the NBA.

At its most basic, Mamba Mentality means doing everything in your power to be the best version of yourself 24/7. It sounds simple, but when you hear how dedicated Kobe was to life, you understand that very few people operate at that level.

Why it lands with a hiker

Kobe Bryant has always been my biggest hero among people I never knew personally. He has given me inspiration for countless preparations, through games I have watched, YouTube clips, podcasts and through his book. My review is therefore certainly biased, but I think the book is fantastic. I am well aware that it is not to everyone’s taste, and there I try to use some of the empathy I have learned from Kobe to understand that others see the book from a completely different perspective.

The Mamba Mentality is physically large and has big photos on every page. The text, on the other hand, is very short and precise, which makes the book perfect to read in small bites. It does not take long, and I read it myself over breakfast, where every day I could read a few pages and be fully motivated to take on my own day. That habit suits an active soul well. A short dose of inspiration before a long day of hiking sets the tone for the rest of the trip.

Kobe was not only a winner in basketball, but in life itself. After his playing career he appeared in many podcasts, where he talks about life before, during and after professional basketball. A podcast like that is perfect to listen to while you walk the Camino, because it is wonderful to be out walking and at the same time build your knowledge from inspiring people who try to get the ultimate out of their lives.

My recommendation

If you have read the book, you know why I love it so much. If you have not, I warmly recommend it if you want to work on your own mindset. Bring it along as morning reading, or find one of the many great podcasts and videos with Kobe on YouTube. Rest in peace, Kobe.