LSU Gymnastics star and Mamba mentality! Is there any connection between these two? Well, Kobe Bryant left the mortal world almost five years ago. But his impression still echoes. The Mamba mentality is the proof of this. But what does it mean? According to the NFL star Demario Davis, it is “about attacking what’s in front of you with passion and purpose, without fear and doubt and without an ounce of quit.” The linebacker has no business with professional basketball. Yet he incorporated the mentality and tasted success. Then why not a college gymnast? After all, it involves selecting a goal and applying effort to accomplish it with concentration and commitment. The common methods to reach success! 

The LSU gymnastics coach has recently found the presence of that mentality in a star mentee. Remember, many college gymnastics fans have compared LSU Gymnastics without that standout to the Chicago Bulls in the 1980s without Michael Jordan. So here’s a college gymnast who has found her name compared to two all-time basketball greats! Isn’t that something extraordinary? Indeed. Can you identify the gymnast? 

LSU Gymnastics coach explains how Haleigh Bryant embodies the Mamba mentality

Last Friday (January 17) No. 2 LSU Gymnastics earned a narrow win against No. 7 Florida Gators on the former’s home turf. However, the Tigers didn’t mind the gap. They had what they wanted. Rather, coach Jay Clark saw what he wanted to witness: Haleigh Bryant in an almost fit condition. The satisfaction of seeing her in such a condition melted Clark’s heart. Eventually, in the post-match press conference, he brought in the reference to the Mamba mentality to explain Haleigh’s mindset. So what did he actually claim? In the presser, the coach laid out, “She [Haleigh Bryant] does have that. She does have that. It’s a little less intense than Kobe, like you don’t want to walk around with that look on her face like Kobe did.” As per the coach, however, the “little intense” Mamba mentality proves sufficient to earn the 23-year-old the needed success. And what did she do last Friday? 

Enough to keep the LSU Gymnastics ahead! How? Haleigh Bryant had been given the anchor leg in the floor exercise event. At that moment, the Tigers needed 9.825 to seal the victory over the Gators. It wouldn’t have been a tough task for Haleigh last year (after all, she was the all-around champion last year). But there was a question mark this year. The reason? 

The super senior suffered a strained UCL in December last year in the Gymnastics 101 exhibition match. Since then, she had been keeping a low profile. Ultimately, the injury forced her to miss LSU Gymnastics’ opening match against Iowa this season. She found entry for only one event in the Quad meet on January 11. She failed to make it big on the balance beam. So, on Friday, several things were at stake when she entered her first-floor exercise this season. But she is the one with the Mamba mentality. Isn’t she? Haleigh pulled off 9.90 in the anchor spot to claim the victory. Her routine reached LSU Gymnastics, lifting it to 197.550, just 0.100 more than the Gators. The coach crowned that mentality and clapped at her return. But he also had a large role to play in paving the road for Haleigh. How? 

Jay Clark had trust in his mentee

Haleigh Bryant is the second gymnast in LSU Gymnastics’ history to win the NCAA All-Around title. Also, last year she was awarded the AAI Award, mentioning her as the best senior female gymnast in the nation. Her cabinet has almost all the awards that a college gymnast can win. Yet she can’t get out of her mortal presence. She is a human and injury can hurt her as it does on others. Coach Jay Clark reconciled with this truth and decided to wait for her. He was “optimistic” about Bryant’s return. So, on Friday, he didn’t think twice when replacing Chase Brock with her. His decision paid a beautiful price. 

Haleigh Bryant did what she had been expected to do on the mat. She kept the squad ahead of anything. And why shouldn’t she? As per her, LSU Gymnastics came forward in her dark hours. In the post-match conversation, the Cornelius native said, “They really helped me through kind of this dip I had in the preseason, and they were just by my side every step of the way.” And here she is, winning the matches for the Tigers and earning a comparison with the legends. If it’s not the jackpot, then what is it?