The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Mert A.

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is one of my favorite books and is written by the one-and-only Kobe Bryant. For those who don’t know, Kobe Bryant is a Laker legend and one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He played 20 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring at 37 years old. He unfortunately passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020 when he was 41 years old.

Before he passed away, he published a book called The Mamba Mentality: How I Play which described his view of the game. In the book, he analyzed players he faced throughout his career and described some experiences he had. He also discussed his preparation and routines that helped him become the player he was throughout his amazing NBA career. The book includes small segments from NBA Legend and Kobe’s Laker teammate Pau Gasol and Kobe’s former head coach Phil Jackson.

Kobe Bryant was an incredible basketball player who believed in sacrificing everything and exhausting himself to the point of blacking out to reach his goals. He is a great role model for upcoming athletes and has proven that hard work leads to success. His dedication and determination to achieve his potential and be the best version of himself is shown in his book, where he explains his mentality and approach to his basketball career.

If you are a young athlete interested in achieving your potential in your sport, I suggest studying some of Kobe’s behaviors and words (found in his book) because it was the blueprint to his success.

Enjoy reading!

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

My 2023 NBA Playoffs Prediction

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Mert A.

With one week left before the NBA Playoffs start in 2023, my excitement is through the roof. I can’t wait to see many different teams in the playoffs. This year, there are so many different things to watch for. However, I would like to first start off by establishing that I am a Golden State Warriors fan, so I may be a bit biased toward Steph Curry and my Warriors.

With the regular season dwindling down and the play-in tournament having not taken place yet, I can’t state much about the matchups, but I will describe some topics I am certainly looking forward to.

Initially, before addressing the playoff teams, I would like to talk about how disappointing the Mavericks were this season (I’m sorry Mavs fans). Coming into the season, they had big expectations due to their appearance in the Western Conference Finals the year before. The Dallas Mavericks saw Jalen Brunson leave for the New York Knicks in the offseason. However, they were still staying afloat, drifting around the 4-6 seed range in the Western Conference until February. In February, a few days before the trade deadline, the Mavs traded for superstar point guard Kyrie Irving, with hopes that he would be able to take their team to the NBA Finals alongside Luka Doncic. However, this experiment failed, with the Mavs losing the majority of their games with Luka and Kyrie together and ultimately resulting in them falling outside the required seeding (1-10) to compete in the postseason. Nonetheless, the Mavs still have an incredibly bright future and I can definitely see them going far in the postseason next year, as long as they do well in free agency by adding some bench depth and defense. Even adding an older big man like Dwight Howard or Demarcus Cousins can do wonders for them.

With last year’s Western Conference Finals Runner up eliminated from postseason contention, the West is wide open for other teams to have a chance. The Denver Nuggets, a team that has been really good for a few years now, along with their two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, may see some playoff success this year as they have been able to snatch the one seed. The Memphis Grizzlies, the second seed in the West, are also going to see their chance to go further in the playoffs. The three-seeded Sacramento Kings have had an amazing year, ending their sixteen-season playoff drought. However, their lack of experience and the fact that they will either play the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, or the defending champion Golden State Warriors have me thinking that they’ll have a first-round exit. Those three teams who are in competition for the sixth seed have five superstars combined along with really good supporting players.

Despite all of this, the Western team to watch in my opinion is the Phoenix Suns. They have a star-studded super team with Kevin Durant at the helm. This team went to the NBA Finals in 2021 before losing in six games without Kevin Durant, so the addition of Kevin Durant has me scared for their potential. If the healthy Phoenix Suns play your team, watch out. You might be in for some heartbreak.

The Golden State Warriors, my team, have had an up-and-down season. They started out struggling, even going 4-7 throughout their first eleven games. Then, Stephen Curry, the team’s superstar, and a generational talent, got injured twice throughout the season, missing a handful of games. However, as of recently, the Warriors have been playing inspired basketball and I’m excited to see how my team will do in the postseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers are two star-studded teams that both started the season with a lot of losses, but have found themselves throughout the last one and a half months of the regular season and climbed the standings.

Now, moving to the East, I believe there are only three teams to pay attention to in the Eastern Conference. No disrespect to any of the other teams in the Eastern Conference, but these three teams are powerhouses that will be tough to defeat in a seven-game series. These teams are the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers, also the 1-3 seeds in their conference. The Milwaukee Bucks won the championship in 2021 and their team is only getting better every year, so I can definitely see them going deep in the postseason this year. Next up is the Boston Celtics, who went to the NBA Finals last season before losing to my Warriors. This Boston team is centered around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but they also have last year’s Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart along with some great supporting pieces like Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, Robert Williams III, and Al Horford. When they are at their best, they can be really difficult to beat. My last contender in the East has to be Philadelphia. They have struggled in the playoffs every year, usually losing in the first or second round, so I can’t necessarily trust that this is their year. Regardless of their previous struggles, this is a team with Joel Embiid, who is the MVP in my opinion, along with James Harden. If they will eventually win a championship together in Philly, I feel like this can be their best chance.

With the NBA Playoffs starting next weekend, I’m incredibly excited to see how it plays out. Of course, I’m hopeful that my Golden State Warriors can do their thing and get another championship, going back-to-back. However, we must wait and see. On April 15, the NBA Playoffs will begin and I highly advise you to tune in if you have an interest in watching some amazing talent leave it all on the floor for a chance to win the 2023 NBA Championship.

The Dallas Mavericks’ Downfall

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Aryan H.

Wow. I don’t think anybody expected the Dallas Mavericks to be in this position heading into the playoffs. Just about two months ago, the Mavericks had a 96% chance of making the playoffs following the addition of star guard Kyrie Irving. Surprisingly, things went downhill from there. Before the trade, the Mavs were slightly above .500 (a 50% winning percentage) and were consistently in between the 4-6 seeds in a tightly packed Western Conference. They were very mediocre and their superstar player, Luka Doncic, was having to play at an extremely high level every game for the Mavericks to even have a shot at winning. It was obvious that a change was needed in order for them to become contenders, and many thought the Kyrie Irving trade was just that. However, those people could not have been more wrong.

To start off, it is important to look at what the Mavericks gave up in order to acquire Irving. As shown in the image, the Mavericks gave up Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first round pick, and two second round picks. In return, they got Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris. At first glance, it seemed like the Mavs easily won this trade. However, if you look at it more in depth, Dallas lost a lot of their defense. Dorian Finney-Smith was the best defender on the team and Dinwiddie was decent on the defensive side of the ball. The problem with this trade was that the team lost their identity, which is not a good spot for any franchise to be in. In the 2021-2022 season, the Mavericks were known as a defensive team and arguably had a top 5 defense. This was the main reason they were able to reach the Western Conference Finals, as were consistently holding teams to under 100 points a game, which is a recipe for success. There is a saying that “defense wins championships”, and although the Mavericks had an elite offense with Kyrie and Luka paired together, their defense was atrocious.

Coaching is also very important in the success of any team, regardless of the sport. The Mavericks’ head coach, Jason Kidd, was considered a solid coach in the NBA. This season, however, there were some glaring issues with his gameplans. After letting Jalen Brunson leave in free agency, the Mavs went ahead and traded for Christian Wood in hopes for him to be the solid big man that they desperately needed. In the first half of the season, Wood put up solid numbers and was helping the Mavs win games alongside Doncic. However, after the Kyrie Irving trade, his minutes plummeted, therefore causing his stats to also drop. Kidd chose to start Dwight Powell for majority of the games. Many Mavericks fans, including me, were perplexed by this move. For some reason, Kidd continued to allow Powell to get starter-type minutes, even though he was playing awful. Fans were furious with the coach and were begging for him to get fired. Although this will likely not happen this offseason, it is something for owner Mark Cuban to think about.

Ultimately, the Dallas Mavericks’ downfall this season was mainly caused by their defensive woes and a few coaching issues. There are a few ways to fix these problems in the offseason, but there is also the risk of Kyrie Irving leaving in free agency since he is only on a one year contract. If he does leave and the Mavericks get nothing in return for a half-season rental of Irving, they will find themselves in a deep hole.

Stephen Curry’s Magical 2016 Season

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Boen L.

Warriors win Game 7 to overcome a 3-1 deficit vs the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals

Stephen Curry’s 2016 regular season was one of the greatest ever. He won the MVP unanimously with all 131 first-place votes. He won the scoring title by averaging 30 points a game. He did it with outstanding efficiency as he shot 50% from the field, 45% from three, and 90% from the free throw line, joining the 50-40-90 club. Curry was unstoppable at the three-point line, hitting 402 threes in the season, shattering his previous record of 286 threes in a single season.

Curry was not as good on defense, but he was still great. He led the league in steals with 2.1 a game and was top 15 in both defensive win shares and defensive box plus-minus. Overall, the Golden State Warriors were the second-best defensive team in the league, and Curry was a big part of that.

Unfortunately, the Warriors did not cap off the season with an NBA championship. They blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA finals right after overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA championship by upsetting the Warriors in games 5, 6, and 7. The Warriors won game 4 in Cleveland, taking a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving played incredibly over the last three games, leading them to three straight wins to defeat the Golden State Warriors. Nonetheless, Stephen Curry’s 2016 unanimous MVP season is still one of the most dominant seasons of all time.

Books about Stephen Curry are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Michael Jordan’s Legendary Career

Posted on December 13, 2022 by Boen L.

Michael Jordan is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Drafted third overall in the 1984 draft, He won rookie of the year averaging 28 points a game. But three games into the next season, Jordan suffered a broken foot which kept him sidelined for the majority of the season. Jordan came back in 1986, averaged 37 points, and won his first scoring title. He also became the first player to win defensive player of the year and averaged 35 points a game in 1988. Jordan was a monster on both offense and defense. He would go on to win six straight scoring titles from 1987 to 1993. Jordan wins three consecutive championships from 1991 to 1993, but then shockingly retired after the 1993 championship season to go play baseball for two years before coming out of retirement at the end of the 1995 NBA season. He would then come back and win three more scoring titles, three more championships, and three more NBA finals MVPs from 1996 to 1998. He was the greatest scorer ever winning ten scoring titles, and averaging a record-high 30.1 points per game. Michael Jordan was the most dominant player in his prime obliterating everyone he faced.

Jordan retired again after the 1998 championship run because the Bulls had fired his head coach Phil Jackson. Jordan was not willing to play for any other coach so he retires for a second time. Jordan would then return to basketball again for two more years in 2001 and 2002 to play for the Washington Wizards. But everyone could tell it was not the Prime Jordan that had won 10 scoring titles. He still played great averaging 20 points in both seasons, but it was not the same as before. Jordan retires at the end of the 2002 season at the age of 40 and ended one of the great careers of all time.

Books about Michael Jordan are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Road to Redemption

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Boen L.

“Warriors’ future uncertain following loss and injuries” Jeff Zillgitt in 2019.

The Golden State Warriors were unstoppable. They completely dominated the mid-late 2010s. Obliterating everyone in their way, the Warriors went to five straight NBA finals, won three, and lost the other two due to injuries.

However, during their journey to win their third championship in a row in 2019, the Warriors faced a multitude of injuries. With Kevin Durant and Andre Igoudala out, plus Klay Thompson missing game three in the NBA finals, the Warriors found themselves down in a 3-1 deficit. The Warriors got the win in game five to make the series 3-2. During the third quarter of game six with the game going back and forth, Klay was ahead in a fast break, and Danny Green jumped up behind him trying to block him. Klay fell because of Danny Green’s block attempt and tore his ACL. He missed the rest of the game and the entirety of next season. The Warriors lost in game six by five points and the Toronto Raptors won the championship.

Kevin Durant left the Warriors in the offseason and Klay was injured for the entire next season. With two of their three best players out of the roster, Stephen Curry had to carry the team. Unfortunately, he broke his left arm five games into the season vs the Phoenix Suns in the first quarter. The Warriors went on to finish the season 15-50, last in the Western Conference.

The next year, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were set to return. The Warriors were contenders again until … Klay Thompson tore his Achilles during a basketball practice before the season started. The Warriors were left stunned once again. Curry had to try to carry the team again. The Warriors ended the season 39-31, as the eighth seed. But the Warriors lost two straight play-in games and were eliminated from the 2021 postseason.

After suffering a torn ACL and a torn Achilles, Klay Thompson has finally returned to the game of basketball. But Steph Curry and the Warriors were doubted, everyone thought the stars were aging, Klay won’t be the same after two major injuries, and the bench was inexperienced. The Warriors finished as the third seed in the West. Then in the playoffs, the Warriors went on to beat the Nuggets 4-1 in the first round. Beat the Grizzlies in six games in the second round. Demolishing the Mavericks in five games with Klay hitting eight threes in the final game to send the Warriors to the NBA finals. The Warriors shockingly lost the opening game one to the Celtics but bounced back in game two to tie the series at 1-1. Game three was a back-and-forth game through three quarters. But in the fourth quarter, the Celtics completely outplayed the Warriors and won the game by sixteen. Down 2-1, the world was sure the Warriors were done, on the road and down 2-1 in the series. But Steph Curry shocked the world, playing the greatest game of his playoff career. Scoring 43 points along with 10 rebounds and the Warriors tied the series at 2-2. In game five, Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson combined for 47 points and carried the Warriors to win by 10 despite Curry’s terrible shooting. Curry sealed the deal in game six, scoring 34 points with six threes, he lifted the Warriors over the Celtics in game six to win the finals four games to two. Curry won the first Finals MVP of his career. Stephen Curry and the Warriors simply owned the 2022 playoffs and did something very few thought they could do.

Last Chance U: Basketball (Netflix TV Show)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Mert A.

One thing that most of us have in common is that we absolutely love watching Netflix. Whether it’s the newest sitcom TV Show or that adventure movie that you’ve already watched 5 times but can’t get enough of, Netflix has an almost unlimited array of options. Even though its known for its TV Shows and movies, the popular streaming service does not disappoint when it comes to documentaries and docuseries.

An interesting docuseries that I recently discovered and quickly finished is Last Chance U: Basketball. While you may have heard about Last Chance U: Football, which has 5 different parts, Last Chance U: Basketball is a new docu-series that came out in 2021. It takes the viewers through the journey of the East LA Junior College basketball team’s path to the playoffs. Winning the championship would do wonders for the players who have gone through so much and ended up here. These players who are worthy of playing Divison 1 Basketball if not for the experiences they have had. These players who have lost so much and are trying to earn it back.

Firstly, East LA’s basketball coach is a religious man, who wants the best for the players and understands them the best. John Mosley is his name, and he is like a father figure for these kids, who almost have nothing else. The players love him, but are also annoyed by his strategies. However, he always makes them earn it by teaching them about hard work and taking no days off.

Deshaun Highler, the starting shooting guard of the team, lost his mom to cancer before the documentary. In this docuseries, he talks about how he has tried coping with the pain his mom’s death has brought him. Deshaun experiences ups and downs throughout East LA’s 2019-2020 season, but he and Coach Mosley find ways for him to fight past the struggles.

Joe Hampton, the reserve center of East LA throughout the 2019-2020 season, could’ve been in a much better place at the time of the docuseries, except for his trouble controlling his feelings, typically of anger. As said by many during this show, Joe is incredibly talented, but his injuries when playing for Penn State, a D1 school, forced him to have to transfer to a junior college. After experiencing such lows in life, he often feels fed up and needs to calm himself down, in his own ways.

Last Chance U: Basketball is one of my favorite docuseries I have watched on Netflix, and I definitely recommend it to anyone. You don’t need to be obsessed with basketball to enjoy this show because this isn’t only a show about basketball, but also about life.

How Stephen Curry Defies Expectations

Posted on August 14, 2022 by Boen L.

Wardell Stephen Curry was born on March 14th, 1988. He had a brother and a sister. His father was a great shooter in the NBA and played for the Charlotte Hornets.

Early in life, Curry loved basketball and always practiced shooting and scrimmaging with his brother in their backyard. As he finished middle and high school, people began doubting Curry for his size, despite his incredible shooting. Curry was criticized because of his size and some argued that he wouldn’t survive in college/nba. But he proved them all wrong and was drafted 7th in the 2009 draft.

In the first few seasons, Curry dealt with many ankle injuries and had to have surgery to repair it. People began to doubt him once again. In 2015, Curry would win the MVP and prove everyone wrong, going on to win the championship that season by defeating Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 games.

Over the next 7 years, he would lead his team to a 73-9 record, win 3 more championships, a unanimous MVP, and a finals MVP. He has proved himself to be the greatest shooter of all time and certainly a top 10 player in NBA history.

Interesting Sports Podcasts to Try

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Mert A.

If you get bored while running, resting, or doing whatever it is that you like to do, you might want to try a podcast. I enjoy listening to sports podcasts to discover the opinions of experts on certain topics, and I’m here to share some of my favorite ones with you.

There are 3 podcasts that I feel separate themselves from the rest of them and for different reasons. Some of them offer incredible insight on basketball, while others are fun because they have people debating passionately about players and headlines.

The Draymond Green Show:

The host of this show is the man himself, Draymond Green. He breaks down NBA games and talks about how his team, the Golden State Warriors, played and how the other games went down. His podcasts are especially fun to listen to after he has a big game or an important moment in a game, such as an ejection. Sometimes, he’ll have a guest on the show, who might be a fellow NBA player or someone associated with the NBA. His attention to detail really shows in his podcasts, and I recommend his podcast to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about basketball. This is definitely my favorite podcast at the moment.

First Take:

What’s better in a sports podcast than Stephen A. Smith yelling at Kendrick Perkins or someone else on the show for their “blasphemous” takes? With various guests on the show as well as the usual crew (Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith, and sometimes Kendrick Perkins), the podcast can be really entertaining to listen to or also watch on ESPN. On this show, they primarily debate about basketball, but also have some sections that include football or baseball. Although it’s not my favorite podcast, it’s definitely in the top 2 and I love occasionally listening to small segments at a time.

Skip and Shannon: Undisputed:

If you want a lot of deep analysis about the game of basketball, don’t go to this show. If you want to see Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe bickering back and forth for two and a half hours, then this is for you. On Undisputed, the 2 hosts don’t really talk about what teams need to do or what they should have done, but they debate on controversial topics concerning ejections, who’s better than who, and certain plays. However, before listening to this podcast, be aware that a lot of the things Skip and Shannon say are heavily biased, especially the ones from Skip. That being said, this show is still a lot of fun and I definitely recommend you check it out.

If you’re a basketball (or sports) enthusiast, in summer, you might find yourself bored with nothing to do, and if so, give these podcasts/shows a listen. You probably won’t regret it!

-Mert A.

Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP by Mirin Fader

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Mert A.

Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP is a book that details Giannas Antetokounmpo’s rise to greatness.

In 2008, if I told you that a skinny Nigerian kid living in Greece was going to become the face of the NBA and win 2 MVPs, would you believe me? If you said no, you would agree with the majority of people. However, if you said yes, would you stick with your answer if I told you that this kid had illegal immigrant parents, and he had to sell on the streets every day to get his family food to eat? If you would still say yes, you would have predicted the rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Giannis had to go through many struggles as a kid. He would go with his mom to sell sunglasses for a couple of euros each just to try to get food on the table. Sometimes, he would have to go to sleep with a rumbling stomach, imagining the food that he wasn’t able to eat. He would always try to smile, so his brothers wouldn’t start to worry. His family would get evicted a lot, and they would have to move to a different apartment often because they couldn’t pay the rent. However, basketball was a way out. Giannis would forget about all of his worries when he was on the court, playing his heart out. He would dream of playing in the NBA and having his family all with him along the journey.

Giannis’s childhood was difficult, but he worked hard and didn’t complain. His story should be a lesson to all of us: Anything is possible as long as you put in the effort and work extremely hard. His childhood shows us that we should never count anyone out based on their circumstances.

The author, Mirin Fader, did a great job including interviews and quotes from people who played a role in Giannis’s childhood. His mom, brothers, and former coaches all had quotes in this biography of Giannis Antetokoumpo.

While reading about Giannis’s rise to stardom, I was not able to put the book down. It was so intriguing to read about the struggles that he faced and overcame to get to where he is today, and I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Giannis Anteokounmpo. Also, anyone who wants to learn a thing or two about the challenges that some people face would find this book interesting, too.