During his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant turned into a global sports figure with an unparalleled influence on athletes — both on the basketball court and beyond.
Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” has inspired countless sports moments of greatness. To this day, Lakers fans remember Anthony Davis screaming the legendary forward’s name — donning a Black Mamba jersey, no less — after that iconic 3-pointer that secured a key playoff win over the Denver Nuggets during the 2020 postseason.
Meanwhile in baseball, fans might remember New York Yankees star Aaron Judge admitting to channeling the Mamba Mentality every day as it “helps him lock in” during games.
A tribute to Bryant was also a part of the 2022 NFL season’s curtain-raiser between the L.A. Rams and Buffalo Bills. Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner came out for his Rams debut with a picture of the Lakers great implanted on his right thigh pad — with the team sharing the photo of the pad on Twitter to make sure Wagner’s tribute to Bryant wouldn’t go unnoticed:
Mamba Mentality, always. ? pic.twitter.com/2XgCo7Hxso
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 13, 2022
The Lakers responded to the Rams’ tweet with a couple of purple and gold emojis.
Wagner later went on to explain why he decided to pay tribute to the Lakers legend, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press:
Bobby Wagner on his Kobe pads: "He's somebody that inspired me. He's one of the 1st players I watched from start to finish. He was somebody I looked up to. Me coming back to LA, it was a way to honor somebody that's done a lot in my life that he probably didn't even know."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) September 14, 2022
Individually, Wagner had a solid night, registering seven tackles and a sack on Thursday. However, the Rams began their title defense with a bitter 31-10 defeat to the Bills after a mind-blowing performance from Josh Allen at SoFi Stadium.
Matthew Stafford threw just one touchdown and had three interceptions. But wide receiver Cooper Kupp picked up where he left off in the championship 2021 season, catching 13 passes for 128 yards and the Rams’ only touchdown of the game.
Netflix releases The Redeem Team’ trailer discussing Bryant’s role in 2008 Olympic gold win
Netflix has released the first trailer for “The Redeem Team,” a documentary about Team USA’s men’s basketball team’s 2008 Olympic gold win in Beijing. The clip discusses Kobe Bryant’s role in the victory, describing how the Lakers legend motivated his fellow NBA stars to put their egos aside and do the “dirty work” on the court.
Carmelo Anthony recalled one of the moments Bryant impressed him with his candor and dedication. “Kobe said, ‘I’m tired of watching y’all lose.’ I’m like, I love this energy,” Anthony said.
“This is what we need.”
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade served as co-executive producers for “The Redeem Team,” which will premiere on Oct. 7.
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