Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant became one of the most prolific scorers ever during his 20-year career, commonly being compared to Michael Jordan.
The one thing about Bryant is that he never lost confidence, no matter how well he was playing or who was defending him. Even if he is shooting poorly, Bryant could still strike a dagger into his opponents in the fourth quarter by making shots when they matter. That is what made him special, also his mindset as he took no days off and took pride in being better than the rest of his competition. That’s something that Gordon Hayward encountered when he first came into the NBA.
Hayward shared a story about him working out with Bryant, helping him learn more about the Mamba Mentality, via Podcast P with Paul George:
Kobe wasted no time introducing Gordon Hayward to the Mamba Mentality ?
New episode premiering NOW: https://t.co/lXSrnsKYLl pic.twitter.com/C2NUvSI14X
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) January 1, 2024
Fast forward, Hayward got to face off against Bryant in his farewell game at Staples Center in 2016. Famously, the Lakers legend dropped 60 points and etched that performance into the history books.
Despite not having a storybook ending to his career, Bryant was able to put up one more legendary performance to put a bow on everything. Especially at 37-years-old during his final game against the Utah Jazz, he played 42 minutes and put up 50 shot attempts to get to 60 points.
Knowing how competitive the five-time champion was, there was simply no way he was going to leave the NBA on a somber note. While beating Utah meant nothing to a rebuilding L.A. team, Bryant looked exhausted but channeled in his Mamba Mentality one last one to propel his team to a win.
Now, Hayward has called it a career, however, and he can always reflect on that story as it prepared him for a successful 14-year career.
Shams Charania names Kobe Bryant as his GOAT
For the most part, the GOAT debate comes down to Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James. But there remains a contingency of people who put Kobe Bryant atop their list as the greatest to ever play the game.
For a lot of people, the GOAT argument also encompasses who they were able to grow up watching. Obviously there are videos everyone can go back and watch and stats are readily available, but those moments in real-time are hard to replicate and that is certainly the case for NBA Insider Shams Charania. He was asked who his GOAT was, and he named the Lakers legend.
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