Ex-Teammate Explains Why Kobe Bryant Rarely Made Friends – “A Different Type of Off”

We are all aware of the Mamba Mentality and how much Kobe Bryant was locked in. He would not even give an inch to his opponent. Bryant did not care what the media wrote about him and did not back down to any of his opponents. He was great at playing mind games and was always steps ahead. His arrogant side was only when the spotlight was on him.

Trevor Ariza was on the Run Your Race podcast and spoke about playing with Kobe Bryant. The hosts of the show Theo Pinson and AJ Richardson asked him about his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers legend. “Kobe and I were teammates, but he was more so like of like a bigger brother to me,” said Ariza.

Speaking about Black Mamba, Ariza also added there was a reason why Bryant didn’t interact with a lot of people. “You have to be a different type of like like off to like understand like his drive and his want to be great like that. You got to kind of have the same type of off maybe not to like you know not same talent but the same type of off to understand it.”

Speaking about the message in the locker room, Ariza said that Kobe was not a micro-manager. He would suggest what things worked for him. Also highlighted what he believed could work for the team. Even suggesting to the teammates what their skill set looks like and encouraging them to do their own “flare.“

Kobe’s much-talked-about work ethic, he could learn quickly. However, this ability often turned out to be a bane for his opponents. Kobe’s desire to be like Michael Jordan was evident from his early days in the league. Another former teammate of the Lakers legend spoke about Kobe’s intense competitive nature.

Nick Young reflects on Kobe Bryant’s tough love and ‘Mamba Mentality’

“I would say he was a nice person outside the court but anything around basketball, nah. But, he knew it too,” said Nick Young on Kobe Bryant’s behavior. Young was with the Lakers from 2013 until 2017, essentially playing until Kobe retired. He highlighted some memorable moments on the VladTv YouTube channel hosted by DJ Vlad.

He shared an incident where, during a game, Bryant took a rookie’s seat on the bench. All the seats were filled so the Lakers legend pointed at the rookie to sit on the floor. No seats were remaining so Bryant was not going to stand up the whole time or sit on the floor according to Young. Bryant knew and wanted to keep the arrogant personality on display. “So he used to use it like like how you say double down on it. Kobe was a ultimate double down on like the a**holenes,” remarked Young.

Kobe Bryant would challenge his teammates by showing up extraordinarily early to workouts, expecting the same level of commitment from them. Though stern, Bryant’s approach was always rooted in achieving excellence, exemplifying the legendary ‘Mamba Mentality’.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.