Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest scorers in the history of the NBA, and he had the mentality that he could dominate as a one-on-one player from an early age.
According to his former teammate Nick Van Exel, Bryant thought he was the best one-on-one player in the NBA even at just 18 years old.
“Kobe…always used to say, dawg, ‘I’m the best one-on-one player in the league,’” Van Exel said. “And this is like as a 18-year-old.”
Van Exel continued and was honest about the fact that Bryant needed to grow a little bit in the NBA before becoming a championship player.
“Practices was crazy ’cause Kobe always felt like he’s a one-on-one player,” he said. “And being young, we all been young. We trying to come whoever up there. We want it. And that’s how he felt. … Kobe was just so young. … He wasn’t ready to win a championship at that age.”
Van Exel also showed love to Bryant and said that when the Lakers icon started to encounter adversity in the NBA, he used it as a chance to tap into his incredible work ethic and get better.
A Hall of Famer and league MVP, Bryant scored 33,643 points in his career and currently sits fourth on the league’s all-time scoring list. The Lakers legend tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020, but it’s great to see some of his former teammates sharing stories about his mentality to keep his legacy alive.
During his playing career, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc. A dominant isolation player in his prime, Bryant averaged 30+ points per game in three seasons and 25+ points per game in 12 seasons during his storied career.
He will forever be one of the most important figures in Lakers history, as he led the team to tremendous success across 20 seasons.
Los Angeles won five NBA titles under Bryant’s guidance, and he won two NBA Finals MVPs in the process. Bryant was a part of one of the greatest duos in NBA history with Shaquille O’Neal, and he found success after O’Neal departed the Lakers by teaming up with Pau Gasol.
Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” has carried on to the next generation of players, and it’s clear that he always believed in himself to be one of the greatest players of all time. Now, he has multiple statues outside of L.A.’s arena and is forever immortalized as a Hall of Famer.
