“I’m chasing perfection,” said Kobe Bryant once. What continued all his life was him staying true to his words. While Shaquille O’Neal was filming movies and dropping rap albums, a young Kobe Bryant was notorious for requesting gym access at 3 am. When Allen Iverson was making headlines for his nights out in Philadelphia, Bryant was making headlines for his pre-dawn workout routines. Even as peers like Dennis Rodman embraced the celebrity lifestyle, jet-setting between games, Bryant remained focused on his craft. And now former Michigan State All-American has made a unique revelation.

In the latest episode of the ‘All the Smoke’, podcast, the host, Matt Barnes, asked the guest of the segment, Mateen Cleaves, what he remembered about ‘Black Mamba‘. The 47-year-old didn’t spare any time in answering the question. “Different, different. Like I have seen it first hand. Like I be seeing all of these interviews and stuff I got to see it first hand. You got to think, we was All-Americans, so we were some bad boys. He was different and how he approached it was different, he was a pro back then, he was locked in,” said Cleaves during the interview.

Cleaves who has crossed paths with Bryant during his NBA career, painted a picture of a man who was obsessively dedicated to his profession. The contrast became even more apparent as Bryant’s career progressed. While contemporaries like Dwyane Wade were front row at fashion shows and LeBron James was building his media empire, Bryant’s extracurricular activities primarily revolved around studying the game and perfecting his footwork.

“We was hooping and we had fun and all that but you know we adventure off and get to some other stuff sometime too, yeah. Not him, it was all hoop and he was so locked in that dude was different, yeah. Cold blooded and unstoppable,” added Cleaves during the interview.

However, this doesn’t mean that ‘Black Mamba’ was completely out of the limelight. He appeared in commercials with Nike, did interviews, and engaged in business ventures. However, these were carefully calculated moves that never detracted from his primary focus, which was basketball excellence.

“Mamba mentality is a constant quest to find answers. It’s that infinite curiosity to want to be better, to figure things out. Mamba mentality is you’re going, you’re competing, you’re not worried about the end result,” was the definition given by Kobe Bryant himself on his mentality.

As mentioned before, this mentality had even helped Bryant to achieve prime success in his life. With average career points of 25 per game, five championship rings, and eighteen All-Star selections, Bryant remains an inspiration for many other players. As Cleaves and others pull back the curtain on Bryant’s real approach to off-court activities, what emerges isn’t just a portrait of an athlete, but a master craftsman who recognized that true excellence knows no off-season. However, the 47-year-old wasn’t the only one to talk about the ‘Black Mamba.‘

Stephen Jackson’s revelation about Kobe Bryant

It was not just Mateen Cleaves who had experienced Bryant’s on-court attitude firsthand. The co-host of the show, Stephen Jackson, equally experienced Bryant’s antics during his career. The former NBA champion shared a story that showed Bryant’s intensity was unparalleled.

“He’s talking about, let’s practice hard like we had the same situation when we supposed to be just walking through and Kobe caught the ball, rip and swung in the middle, hard and boom like hold up. Let’s practice, let’s practice. It was supposed to be a walkthrough. He didn’t give a goddamn, it was time to go,” said Jackson during the podcast.

Jackson’s account highlights Bryant’s relentless pursuit of excellence which is a trait that defined his entire career. This competitive spirit was evident in his performance on the court, particularly during the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. He averaged 27 points per game that season, shooting an impressive 44.7% from the field. His clutch performance in Game 7 of the Finals, where he scored 23 points, sealed the championship deal for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant has truly set an example for future players in the league and inspired players like Jayson Tatum and Trae Young. Moreover, Cleaves’ and Jackson’s revelations further underscore Bryant’s legendary status as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.