The Los Angeles Lakers, with their rich history of legends and championships, continue to remain atop the National Basketball Association even during their rough stretches. While the team is in rebuild mode, the benefits that stars, like Kobe Bryant, have provided lay the foundation for the future.
The application, on the other hand, is the other side of the spectrum. During his NBA career, Bryant provided clutch heroics on many occasions and led the Lakers to five NBA championships.
During his final few seasons, injuries plagued the legend and caused him to enter the end of his career on a forced note. However, Bryant did not allow that to stop him from encompassing the mentor role to the new generation of players.
D’Angelo Russell, the presumed next superstar in Los Angeles, regularly learned under the wing of Bryant and is in the process of molding his game to the next level.
Other NBA players, such as Kyrie Irving, have referred to the ‘mamba mentality’ in honor of Bryant.
Sometimes, teachings from one sport carry over into the other. Entering his third season, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr continues to emerge into an up-and-coming star. Many role models have provided mentorship to him, guiding him along his career.
In a bit of an upset, the Raiders captured a Week 1 victory against the New Orleans Saints. Thanks to a key two-point conversation in the fourth quarter, Carr opened the season with a win. For the night, the 25-year-old completed 24 of his 38 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown.
Carr provided the late game heroics for his team, attempting to remain composed as they drove down the field. During the clutch moments, Carr referred to Bryant’s ‘mamba mentality’ and how it helped him remain poised, via Raiders.com:
“In my head, I’m a big Kobe fan, so that mamba mentality. You got to go out there, and you’ve got to do it. I’ve studied him, watched him forever, and that’s always been my mindset when I get in those situations.”
Carr, a California native, grew up idolizing the Lakers and Bryant during his dominant 20-year career in the NBA.
The third-year player is on a path to another productive season, with a Week 1 victory behind his belt. The Raiders open up Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, behind their die-hard fans and the erupting Oakland Coliseum.