Tag Archives: Kobe Bryant

The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant

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From behind-the-scenes insight to life-changing advice, Kobe Bryant’s autobiography is a great motivator for young athletes and a memoir of his style of play.

The book opens with a foreword from Pau Gasol, a longtime teammate of Kobe and a member of the 2023 Hall of Fame Class. Pau opens with a story about when he first got traded to the Lakers. When Pau arrived at his room at 1 AM, Kobe was there to introduce himself. On page 15, Pau says, “To me, that was a tremendous demonstration of a true leader, and our meeting had a huge impact on me, instantly.”

These short anecdotes throughout the book show both Kobe’s development and mindset. While these stories are great, there are some points in the book when the topic changes without warning. For example, Kobe talks about his 2013 Achilles injury, and how it could have been career-ending. Immediately after, he talks about his signature 2008 sneakers. These sudden transitions can be slightly off-putting at first, but it is the style of the book.

An overwhelming positive of the book is the photography by Andrew D. Bernstein, the official photographer for the Lakers and Clippers. Photos span from Kobe’s rookie headshot to his final game.

The formatting of the book is also extremely unique. Instead of just pages of text, many portions of the book are dedicated to full-page images. Quotes and other titles are shown in different fonts and colors to stand out even more. This helps separate pieces of information and makes it easier to digest information.

Overall, the imagery and formatting of the book are more than enough to make it an interesting read. If you are not a basketball player or an athlete, Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality” still applies. He preaches that the mindset is not “about seeking a result-it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life” (pg.93).

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

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant

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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.

The Wizenard Series by Kobe Bryant and Wesley King

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When did magic and basketball meet? Floors moving uphill and downhill, mysterious writing on the wall, each person seeing a different vision than the next in the same place! Is there anything Rolabi Wizenard can’t change? Well, as Rolabi Wizenard tests a struggling basketball team’s commitment and desire, they find out how to handle fear and learn to overcome the biggest challenges! A team determined to win, The West Bottom Badgers start an incredibly long journey to the title, with Rolabi Wizenard as their coach! 

As each player faces their own challenges, they all have to find a way to come together as a team and compete for a championship! A team from The Bottom part of Dren is starting their adventure now. They have no time to waste, they just need to work hard everyday, and play while controlling their fears. Everyone comes from struggling parents, who can’t pay all their bills, but their hearts are bigger. Their desire to win is stronger! The main question is: Will all their hard work be enough?

As the West Bottom Badgers learn to work and hard and fight through fear, they start to unlock their true potential. Former bench players become stars and the whole team starts to look up. That is until they start the season. The season starts off very rough as they start off with 5 straight losses without a single win. Their hopes to win the championship, once as high as a mountain, start to plummet as each loss comes and goes. 

The Wizenard Series is a 2 book series with the first book being the same story in all the different parts of it, just from different perspectives. You get 5 different angles of the story with Rain, Twig, Cash, Peno, and Lab. The 2nd book is with Reggie, where you get a view of the first season with Rolabi Wizenard as head coach from the eyes of Reggie.

As everyone faces problems and challenges on the court, most of the kids also face problems off the court. Some sleep on the ground, some have to work hard into the night to earn the money their family needs, and some have lost family members. Well, after all, this is The Bottom. Once someone comes to The Bottom, they have a hard time leaving, and that is just like the situation everyone on this basketball team is in. Professor Rolabi Wizenard not only teaches these kids basketball, but he also teaches them life. Will they be able to apply what they have learned from him into their daily lives as they get older and try to get out of The Bottom with basketball?

I enjoyed reading this fabulous book, and I would rate it a 10/10. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

The first book: The Wizenard Series: Training Camp, the second book: The Wizenard Series: Season One

-Mert A.