One way in which the legend of Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant continues to live on well after his tragic passing is with the ‘Mamba Mentality,’ which he often preached. That mindset of unwavering focus and work ethic is something that can be applied to any walk of life and is something that continues to push one of the greatest tennis players ever in Novak Djokovic.
As fellow Serbian native Nikola Jokic nears his first NBA Championship, Djokovic made history himself this weekend by winning the French Open. It was his third victory at Roland Garros and his 23rd Major Championship overall, the most ever by any male tennis player and tied with Serena Williams for the second-most by anyone, trailing only Margaret Court’s 24 Majors.
After hoisting the trophy, Djokovic was asked what was going through his mind prior to the match and the tennis legend pointed to Bryant and the Mamba Mentality as driving his belief in himself, via NBC Sports:
"Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant."
Novak Djokovic shares what was going through his mind before today's final at #RolandGarros. pic.twitter.com/nIRUb7O58S
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 11, 2023
As Djokovic noted, that mental power of seeing things before they happen, visualizing those outcomes and truly believing in them can be powerful. It is what drove Kobe to be one of the greatest basketball players of all-time and Djokovic can now stake his argument as the greatest male tennis player to ever step on a court himself.
It is one thing to have great talent, and anyone who makes it to the professional level of any sport has a level of talent greater than most. But to get the most out of that talent is another thing entirely and that is whatBryant did and has inspired many others to do as well.
Regardless of era of time or the area of expertise, Bryant’s Mamba Mentality is something that will forever live on as it continues to inspire and bring out greatness in those who embrace it.
Lakers’ Rui Hachimura wants to be somewhere he can be ‘happy’
The current Lakers are coming off a strong playoff run and now have some decisions to make in free agency. One of the most important will be on forward Rui Hachimura who is a restricted free agent, and the Lakers are expected to bring him back.
Hachimura recently opened up about what he is looking for this summer, noting that he simply wants to be in a place where he can be happy playing basketball. The forward added that the Lakers believed in him and were good to him in the short time he has been with the franchise.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
