Golden State Warriors General Manager Bob Myers wants athletes to restrain from using the phrase “Mamba Mentality.”
During an appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Myers said he thinks it is disrespectful to the late Kobe Bryant because he was one of a kind.
“When people use the ‘Mamba Mentality,’ you guys don’t do that. You’re not him,” Myers said.
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The “Mamba Mentality” encompasses living with a purposeful intensity, being fully committed and removing all the self-doubt. Bryant built his legendary NBA career on a foundation of unwavering self-belief.
Myers went on to say he becomes annoyed when he hears people utter the phrase.
“Nobody should be allowed to say that. I’m sorry. There is nobody there like him. … When people say that, it bothers me and I’m like, I don’t pretend like I do that, but I’m like, you don’t get to say that. That’s not a throwaway line. … I’m sorry, but that went with him. Come up with something else.”
Myers also noted that the league is filled with great players, many of which are highly-competitive. However, Myers does believe Bryant had the unique ability to take his opponents’ will.
“Not many guys want to take your will. A lot of guys want to beat you. Not many guys want to take your will and make it, so you know never to try that again. ‘Like, how dare you try to beat me? How dare you think you’re going to come out here and beat me?’ but nobody lives like [that], that’s what I’m saying. That is not normal,” Myers said.
In an interview with Amazon Book Review in 2018 about his book “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play,” Bryant explained the principles of the phrase.
“Mamba mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most,” he said. “It’s the ultimate mantra for the competitive spirit. It started just as a hashtag that came to me one day, and it’s grown into something athletes — and even non-athletes — embrace as a mindset.”
Myers has been named Executive of the Year twice. Under Myers leadership, Golden State has won four NBA Championships.
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