Mamba Mentality, 81 Points and an Example for Several Generations: How the Sports World Will Remember Kobe Bryant

One of the embodiments of basketball is gone.

January 26, 2020 will forever be remembered by all basketball fans, and by sports fans in general. Years from now, people will tell stories about this day, recalling where they were and what they felt when they heard the news of Kobe Bryant's death. A giant has gone.

Kobe Bryant was traveling with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna-Maria «Gigi» Bryant to his sports academy, where his daughter was to take part in a youth tournament. Seven other people were on the helicopter with them. None of them survived.

Gigi was the person who brought Kobe back to the NBA after his playing career ended in 2016. She wanted to become a professional basketball player, just like her father. It was for her sake that Kobe founded his well-known sports academy, where a number of stars from not only basketball but other sports trained.

Kobe and Gigi often attended various NBA games, where the father introduced her to the league's stars who were her idols. Bryant had little doubt that the girl had inherited his «Mamba Mentality» and would one day play in the women's version of the NBA.

On his last day, Kobe was a father, but most fans will remember him above all as a basketball player and a killer on the court. He had too many memorable moments to fit them all into one article, but we will try to recall the most important ones.

«Mamba Mentality»

The first thing that comes to mind when Kobe Bryant is mentioned is, perhaps, this player's character. Kobe was a winner on and off the court, and did everything to make sure his team came out on top over its opponent. According to Kobe's approach, «the moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win».

This applied not only to his playing skills but also to the training process, where he gave more than anyone else and demanded the same approach from his teammates. He considered it his personal mission to demand that every player fully realize his potential.

This approach led to five championships, 18 All-Star selections, regular-season MVP and two Finals MVP titles, 33,643 points scored, the status of the best player in Los Angeles history, and influence on millions of lives.

This trait of his character also had a negative side. Not all of his teammates liked this approach, and young players in particular got it hard: Kobe relentlessly «drove» them across the court during practice and then scolded them for lacking desire or skill.

«I don't get involved with lazy people. We have nothing in common. We speak different languages. I don't understand them. And I don't want to understand them», Kobe said of his attitude toward work.

Among other things, this led to Shaquille O'Neal leaving the Lakers, scandals with Smush Parker, and psychological problems for Dwight Howard. Not only his shots but also his words reminded many of the bites of a poisonous snake.

He gave himself the nickname «Black Mamba» after watching Quentin Tarantino's film «Kill Bill», where the snake was used as a code name for a killing. The comparison was perfect, since the black mamba is very fast and large, and its bites were fatal in almost 100% of cases before antivenom was invented. Its venom causes paralysis and respiratory arrest, and that is exactly how Kobe paralyzed opponents with his play, which left fans breathless.

On the court, Bryant was not at all afraid of responsibility for the result, always took the game onto his own shoulders in important moments, and was cool-headed. His winning bites killed more than one team. In this he resembled his idol Michael Jordan, whom he spent his entire career first trying to copy and then trying to surpass.

Kobe came close to reaching «His Airness», but he came as close as anyone to the best player in basketball history, and was practically the only one who was not afraid to challenge Jordan, which earned him Jordan's respect. Michael always spoke of him warmly and called him his little brother.

«Mamba Mentality» was not just a brilliant marketing move by Nike, but a life creed for Kobe Bryant.

81 Points

There is little new to say about Kobe Bryant's scoring talents. Everyone already knows how good he was. The «Mamba» hit his opponent's basket from every distance and in every way possible.

His most impressive achievement was the game against Toronto on January 22, 2006. 81 points scored, 28 of 46 field goals made, 27 points in the third quarter and another 28 in the fourth. Usually such numbers could only be seen in a video game, and even then only if you were playing almost perfectly.

That season Bryant averaged 35.4 points per game, the best result in the NBA. In league history, only Wilt Chamberlain scored more in a single game, with his 100 points, but that game is still shrouded in mystery and doubt. So it is Kobe who holds the fully legitimate record for the highest-scoring game in NBA history.

The 2010 Finals Series

The 2010 NBA Finals were extremely important for Bryant, because he finally had a chance to settle the score with the Lakers' most implacable rivals in history, the Boston Celtics. Kobe really wanted to avenge their defeat in the 2008 Finals.

The series stretched to seven games, and Boston's defense again caused the Lakers a lot of trouble. In Game 7 Bryant made only 6 of 24 shots and scored 23 points, but he made a big contribution to his team's success with 15 rebounds, defense and leadership.

In these Finals Kobe became the leading scorer, averaging 28.6 points per game, and deservedly won his second career Finals MVP award.

62 Points in Three Quarters

81 points looks more impressive at first glance, but many consider the game against Dallas to be Kobe's greatest achievement as a scorer. On December 20, 2005, Bryant scored 62 points in just 32 minutes on the court, on 31 shots.

When he hit the three-pointer that gave him 62 points, he had more points on his account than the entire opposing team. Unsurprisingly, the «Mamba» rested on the bench during the fourth quarter.

ShaKobe

The Lakers of the early 2000s will forever remain in NBA history as one of the best and most dominant teams. At the start of their journey the main driver was Shaq, but gradually Kobe took over the reins of power in the team, which ultimately created a power struggle between them and led to their split.

But from 2000 to 2003 this pair became one of the most powerful duos in NBA history and won three straight championship titles. Once they had grown up, the two legends made peace and publicly acknowledged their mutual fault in the conflict. Who knows how much more they could have won together if wisdom had come to them in time.

Iron Character

One of the most striking displays of Kobe's unbending will to win came during the most difficult and fateful moment of his career. In 2013, the now aging Bryant tried to carry the openly disappointing Lakers through the playoffs. On December 4, during a game against Golden State, Kobe tore his Achilles tendon.

After such an injury a person usually cannot walk on their own, misses more than a year after surgery, and loses up to 30% of explosive athletic qualities. This injury ultimately greatly reduced Bryant's effectiveness after his return and put an end to his dominance, but for a few minutes Kobe managed to defeat it too, sinking both free throws.

The Last Bite

The 2015-16 season was the last of Kobe Bryant's career, as the legendary guard was openly playing out his time on a weak Lakers team. Kobe showed terrible efficiency throughout the season and did more harm than good to a crashing team.

But he saved something for his last game. On April 13, 2016, the Lakers played their final regular season game against Utah. There is no need to say that Staples Center was packed to the rafters and waited for a magical farewell from its idol. And the «Black Mamba» delivered her last bite.

More Than a Player

For many, Kobe was more than just a basketball player or an NBA star. He became a role model for several generations of young people around the world. If previously everyone wanted to be like Michael Jordan, the youth of the «2000s» tried to imitate Kobe in everything.

Hardly anyone other than Michael changed basketball and influenced other people as much as Bryant did. His death deeply affected all players in the league, from LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan to the youngest NBA stars such as Trae Young, Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker.

Kobe was successful even after his career ended, winning an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for «Dear Basketball». He built one of the best sports academies in the world, was a very successful venture capitalist, and was a mentor to anyone who wanted to become better.

«As basketball players, we should shut up and just bounce the ball. But I'm glad that we're doing a little more», Bryant said at the Oscars ceremony.

Few loved basketball more than he did. Thank you for everything, Kobe. Rest in peace.