I bought Mamba Mentality a while ago but I’m finally getting around to reading it now. I decided I needed a world-class mindset built around greatness to truly crush it while sitting in my chair writing and editing videos.
Here are 3 takeaways from Mamba Mentality
Do you (actually) want to be great?
A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness.
They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out.
That’s totally fine.
After all, greatness is not for everybody.
This is one of the most important things: everyone wants to be great but they don’t actually want to, because it comes with a lot of other things. And it often doesn’t come with happiness.
Kobe sacrificed a lot. We probably don’t know the depths of his sacrifice. People with kids can probably feel what it’s like to miss time with them. That’s on the path to greatness. Once you’re there, it’s probably impossible to get a feel for what it’s like to not be able to spend time in public with your kids. In peace.
Sacrifice Sleep (BUT NAP)
“I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my game, but I also wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family time.
So I decided to sacrifice sleep, and that was that.”
Now, before you go and set that 4 AM alarm… I definitely want to point out this quote from Phil Jackson: “I could go on listing records and accounts of his scoring prowess, but that was really a side note to Kobe’s evolution as a player. My staff would meet at 8:30 AM at our facility before a practice or game to prepare for the coming day. More often than not, by the time I pulled in, Kobe would already be parked in the car next to my designated spot, taking a nap.”
“Sometimes, as part of that, I’d be so tired I’d need a quick nap at some point during the day.
Whether before practice or a Finals game, on the bus or trainer’s table, five hours before tip or 60 minutes, if I was tired I would doze off.
I always found that short 15-minute catnaps gave me all the energy I’d need for peak performance.”
Watch and learn
From Mamba Mentality:
“From a young age—a very young age—I devoured film and watched everything I could get my hands on.
It was always fun to me.
Some people, after all, enjoy looking at a watch; others are happier figuring out how the watch works.
It was always fun to watch, study, and ask the most important question: Why?”
And he talks about watching what’s in front of him to evolving and watching to look for what’s missing. What could have gone better? What was another option?
Alright that’s it for now. I’ll do another video as I continue reading. I’ll leave you with this last quote from the book…
The only way I was able to pick up details on the court, to be aware of the minutiae on the hardwood, was by training my mind to do that off the court and focusing on every detail in my daily life. By reading, by paying attention in class and in practice, by working, I strengthened my focus. By doing all of that, I strengthened my ability to be present and not have a wandering mind.
If you want the opposite of practicing focus, please go watch my 7-15 second shorts