“Act Like Nothing Happened”: Stephen Curry Explains How Kobe Bryant Bullied Him With His Mamba Mentality

While known for his offensive bag of tricks, Kobe Bryant left no stone unturned when it comes to defense. The drive to win was equally impressive on both ends of the floor. The Guard was clutched in all instances and could take the will out of his opposition players. His “Mamba Mentality” stands in its own realm and has influenced many athletes that followed him. 

Naturally, this style transferred to Stephen Curry. He recalls how he was stung by Black Mamba, but got right back up.

Bryant lauds Stephen Curry

In a daring venture, Curry joined Sean Evans, the co-creator of Hot Ones. This series is a part of the YouTube channel First We Feast. In one episode, Steph braves through hot & spicy chicken wings. He doesn’t drink milk or take liberties to assuage his burning tongue. Instead, he keeps going on, taking each bite carefully and fighting through the pain of spices.

In such difficult circumstances, host Evans poses a rather thoughtful question. He asks how the Guard felt when the Los Angeles Lakers legend co-signed his “Baby-Faced Assassin” nickname. The basketball phenom revealed that this was “one of my favorite memories and compliments I have ever gotten”.

One prominent memory is when the Warriors Guard was in his rookie year. After the superb offensive player hits a leaner following a pump-up fake, Mamba says to the bench that the “kid is nice”.

However, the kid whom Bryant called nice got a pretty good taste of Mamba Mentality.

The Golden State Warriors Guard followed his instincts. Relating the possession that followed it, he states, ”After I fall, I got no option, I am just gonna shoot it and live with it. I shot it from thirty feet and made it. I act like nothing happened.” Steph also revealed that the former Lakers player also gave him a tap on his butt to acknowledge him in what became another cherishable memory.

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However, this didn’t stop the three-point adventurer from doing what he does best.

Curry scores after being bumped

Going deep into the story, the terrific three-point marksman goes on, ”So he stays with me like for four or five defensive slides. And then he bumps me, and I kinda fall off-balance. So I am actually gassed at this point. I am tired. This dude trying to get in shape during a preseason game. He is going all out on the defensive pressure and he is way bigger and stronger than me. He is bumping.”

Curry further relates an incident, “The second time we are playing in a preseason game, he is doing the Mamba Mentality thing, where he is picking me full-court in a preseason game in the first quarter. I turned around, and he is like this, standing there, doing defensive slides, standing right in front of me. I was like, what’s happening right now? This is freakin’ Kobe Bryant.”

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