Nick Van Exel: Kobe Bryant’s Infamous Misses Were Key To Building His ‘Mamba Mentality

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. While his smooth footwork and elite shot-making ability were routinely cited as his greatest assets, Bryant’s single-minded commitment to perfecting his craft was undoubtedly the secret to his greatness.

The “Mamba Mentality” has become synonymous with Kobe Bryant. The obsessive desire to be the best and the work ethic that such dreams require became an inspiration to many. However, Bryant’s own shortcomings paved the way for this mindset.

During a recent appearance on “To The Baha,” former Lakers player Nick Van Exel opened up about the “Mamba Mentality” and how integral it was to Kobe Bryant as a person and a player. While recalling Bryant’s infamous airballs in the 1997 NBA playoffs, Van Exel shared:

“Man, I just did a Zoom [meeting] Sunday night with some kids, and one of my friends is doing like, the mental stuff and all of that, and he was talking about that. People don’t realize he walked out of there with his head up. He shot those two airballs; he walked out with his head up. Shaq gave him a hug, and he said, ‘I’m going to remember that.’ It just made him better, and he was right in the gym when we got to LA that night. He started shooting threes. His mentality was stupid, man. As a kid. Like, as a kid, 18-19 years old. You don’t see that.”

Despite coming up short on one of the biggest stages during the NBA season, Kobe Bryant didn’t cower from failure. Instead, even as a young player, he went back to work to ensure these mistakes wouldn’t happen again. Needless to say, this character trait set him apart from most players.

Bryant’s mentality inspired many, but Van Exel, like many former players, hates how lightly the phrase “Mamba Mentality” is thrown around. The guard addressed it on the podcast, stating:

“Oh, I hate that. I hate it. I see it in coaching, and catch me talking about the ‘Mamba Mentality.’ Bro, you don’t work. You don’t do nothing. Cut it out. Then you get in front of the camera at the end of the game, ‘Yeah, I had the Kobe-‘ No, you didn’t, bro. I’ve seen you three days in a row. You ain’t getting no shots up. Like, stop it.”

While professional athletes are expected to be dedicated to their craft and focus on improvement, it is also surprisingly common for some to take such things for granted. Unlike these athletes, Kobe Bryant set an example by surpassing those expectations, focusing purely on self-improvement and perfection through rigorous training fueled by sheer competitive instinct.

For obvious reasons, Kobe Bryant’s work ethic yielded results. After coming up short in the 1997 NBA playoffs, the guard bounced back stronger than ever in the following season.

Although he was still coming off the bench, Bryant earned himself an All-Star selection in his sophomore season and even finished second in the 6MOTY race. With averages of 15.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, at 19, he laid the foundation for a successful career.

It wasn’t long before Kobe Bryant’s efforts would result in silverware. In just his fourth season, he and Shaquille O’Neal emerged as one of the league’s best duos, leading the Lakers to their first title of the decade.

Winning the title motivated Bryant to keep winning, as he and O’Neal established the Lakers’ dynasty in the early 2000s by winning three consecutive titles. Thus, even though Bryant became famous for his mentality and work ethic later in his career, it is clear that this mindset was built and cultivated early on.