Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s work ethic and approach to the game of basketball have become core to his legacy, and players often try to adopt his “Mamba Mentality.”
However, Bryant’s former Lakers teammate Nick Van Exel seems to think a lot of those players are all talk.
“I hate these young cats now that say that and don’t work,” Van Exel said. “I hate it. I hate it because I know what he did. I know the work he put in. When he said Mamba Mentality, he really worked at that s—. And it’s some cats that say Mamba Mentality now, y’all don’t work like that. But y’all good. Y’all good. But y’all don’t work like that.”
Bryant’s approach allowed him to have one of the best careers in NBA history. He spent all of it with the Lakers, and it resulted in five NBA titles for the franchise.
On an individual level, he earned 18 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA selections, 12 All-Defense bids, two scoring titles, two Finals MVP awards and one league MVP award. He finished his career with averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
Bryant’s intensity helped him reach those heights, and he is known as one of the hardest workers in league history.
Van Exel isn’t the first one to take issue with some others claiming to be about the Mamba Mentality. A few years back, NBA executive Bob Myers offered a very similar sentiment.
“When people use the Mamba Mentality, you guys don’t do that,” Myers said in 2022. “You’re not him. Nobody should be allowed to say that. I’m sorry. There is nobody there like him.
“When people say that, it bothers me and I’m like, I don’t pretend like I do that, but I’m like, you don’t get to say that. That’s not a throwaway line. … I’m sorry, but that went with him. Come up with something else.”
Bryant, who lost his life in a helicopter crash in 2020, remains a very influential figure in basketball history, including for players who are in the league today or looking to make it to the NBA. Many of them have likely drawn inspiration from the Hall of Famer’s career at times, but it will be hard for anyone to match Bryant’s work ethic.
Still, that shouldn’t stop people from trying. There are some incredible talents in the NBA right now, and basketball fans would love to see those players reach their absolute ceilings in order to elevate the game and league overall. In order to get there, those players will have to put in a level of work that is admirable and rare.
