10 NBA players with Kobe's Mamba Mentality

So what actually is the Mamba Mentality?

Kobe Bryant, also known as the "Black Mamba", is the man behind the "Mamba Mentality". Bryant is known for having the greatest basketball mind and IQ. Kobe described his Mamba Mentality during his most recent shoe release as:

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.

You’re not worried about what people may say. You’re not worried about disappointing others. You’re not worried about any of that, you’re just focused on being in the moment. That’s what mamba mentality truly is.

That means Mamba mentality is all about finding yourself in the run. You work, you fail, you get back up, but you never regret what you're doing or what people think about you. You try to live in the present and you are never afraid of the end result, and that's what Mamba Mentality is.

Playing with the Mamba Mentality is not an easy task, it takes courage, discipline, and the desire to become something bigger than oneself. A person with the Mamba Mentality is ready for any challenge or obstacle in front of him and is afraid of nothing.

The Mamba Mentality, in its own way, is a broad definition and fits some NBA players who showcase it both on and off the court. A majority of these players give their shout out to Bryant by wearing his sneakers in games.

The 10 players are:

#10 Kyrie Irving - Boston Celtics

Kyrie Irving

We've seen Kyrie Irving in the 2016 NBA Finals breaking down the code for taking down the Golden State Warriors. He knocked down the clutch 3-pointer in the Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals which helped the Cleveland Cavaliers clinch the NBA Championship for the first time in franchise history.

Averaging 27.1 points in the 2016 NBA Finals and taking responsibility of another Finals in 2017, truly shows the hidden Mamba instincts inside Irving. Not to mention, his desire to be in the driving seat of another team (Boston Celtics) and not restrict his talents to Cleveland.

Kyrie is a huge Kobe Bryant fan. During the 2015-16 NBA season, when Kyrie was out due to the knee injury in the 2015 NBA Finals, he was in touch with Kobe all-season-long and during the playoff in 2016 too. In the 2016 Finals, Kobe sent texts to Irving to keep him motivated and we witnessed the impact of that in the Finals.

After the finals, Irving credited Bryant for his performance and recently he gave tribute to Bryant with a Nike Kyrie 3 "Mamba Mentality" colorway. Their friendship started back in 2012 before the London Olympics and since then Kobe helped Irving in building the Mamba Mentality in him.

#9 Devin Booker - Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker

Devin Booker is another contender for having the Mamba Mentality. His 70-point game in March last year against the Boston Celtics is the highest since Kobe's 81 point game in 2006. His ability to create space for shots, driving to the basket and executing the pick-and-roll game reflects Kobe's game when he was in his prime.

There is no doubt that Booker watches Kobe's game films and tries to get the fullest of Kobe's mindsets during the game. Booker tries to implement Bryant's tactics to improve his game and after the 70-point game also, Booker had a shoutout to Bryant for his 70-point performance.

#8 Isaiah Thomas - Cleveland Cavaliers

Boston Celtics v Miami Heat

Who knew that the 5'9", 60th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft could have the Mamba Mentality in him? Isaiah Thomas, during his initial seasons in this league, struggled a lot due to his size and abilities. But slowly he turned into a scoring machine and became unstoppable. While being in the Boston Celtics, the small Guard showed up like a giant and took himself to among the elites in this league. The Phoenix Suns, after trading Thomas, are now regretting and have a wish that this trade never happened.

In the 2017 NBA Playoffs, Thomas showed his abilities by taking his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Kobe calls him the "Mighty I.T" and says that he definitely carries the Mamba Mentality in him. Isaiah sent his playoffs game clips to Bryant to get some advice from Bryant to improve his game. Kobe watched his full game clip and advised him to make certain changes in his game to make the fullest of his skills, and that's what we saw in the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

#7 Kawhi Leonard - San Antonio Spurs

Kawhi Leonard

"The Klaw", Kawhi Leonard is surely a disciple of Kobe Bryant. Leonard has developed from a great Defender to arguably the greatest two-way player in this league. Kawhi now defends, plays one-on-one, distributes the ball, and shoots. He can go driving in the paint to the basket, and his teammates now don't hesitate to pass him the ball.

Kawhi's 3-point shooting percentage has improved quite a bit as compared to his college stats. He has become explosive, and his ability to create space for a great offensive play and his fadeaways have the Mamba instincts in them.

For the last 2 seasons, we can see Leonard playing like Kobe on the offensive end of the floor. His judgment skills have a Mamba flavor to it and we can see him keep going like Kobe and he doesn't stop after a bad game. Kawhi surely has the Mamba Mentality in him and we will witness that in upcoming games.

#6 Paul George - Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder v Indiana Pacers

Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder has become an elite with the Mamba Mentality. He has always idolized Kobe and always tried to imitate Bryant when he was a kid, his family idolizes Kobe more than him.

George has developed into an amazing player, he tries to play like Kobe. Last season's performance of George, especially in the playoffs has been great. While being in the Thunder, George has given his best to the team but still, OKC has not found their rhythm or their comfortable spot on the floor.

Kobe has been in touch with George and gave him advises many times. During the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup preparation when George had a devastating injury, Kobe gave him some advice and told him as what he did when he was going through injuries.

Really, George has improved himself by believing in Mamba Mentality and is now turning into a great player. He is a contender for having the Mamba instincts in him.

#5 DeMar DeRozan - Toronto Raptors

DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan has always idolized Kobe while he was a kid, he would imitate Bryant and once cried during the 1997 NBA playoffs when Kobe shot some air-balls. At the age of 16, DeRozan participated in Kobe's camp and Kobe was very impressed with DeRozan's footwork and offensive skills.

DeMar is not a 3-point or deep shooter but his ability to create space bank in mid-range pull-up jumpers is very impressive. His footwork has astonished not only Kobe but Kevin Durant as well. Durant once said that he watches DeRozan's game films and tries to understand his footwork to improve himself. DeMar is surely not as good in ball handling and at defense as Kobe but he surely has the Mamba Mentality on the offensive end.

#4 Damian Lillard - Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard and Kobe both have something similar to them while talking about their basketball mindsets. Lillard faced Bryant for the 1st time in his career when he was a rookie and scored 38 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and Bryant was so impressed by Lillard's performance that Bryant tweeted about Lillard:

#vintagevino. Lillard is the real deal #mambasalute

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 11, 2013

When Damian was asked about his favorite player, he tweeted:

Bron... but I was more infatuated with Kobe. Kobe was a real BOY https://t.co/U8VpN1cuZL

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) August 30, 2017

Now, when it comes to the mentality which Lillard has in him then, he and Kobe share quite similar mentalities on the court. Like Kobe, Lillard has similar skills, whether it is driving to the rim or handling the tough and clutch situations, Lillard has got'em all and still improving himself to play with the Mamba Mentality.

Bryant was suffering through a knee injury in 2014, but his fans voted him for the All-Star game, Kobe asked them to vote Damian instead of him. This signifies that Kobe can see the Mamba Mentality in Lillard and he knows that Lillard can take his mamba mentality to a higher level.

#3 Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook

When we talk about getting the best compliments from Kobe then the best name is Russell Westbrook. According to CBS Sports, Kobe said in today's NBA, there is only one player who matches the same competitiveness as him which is Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook's work ethic, determination, and desire to dominate the league matches with that of Kobe's. Bryant likes Westbrook's game, also watches his games via the NBA League Pass. Westbrook is one of the players who trained with Bryant before the start of the 2016-17 NBA season and Westbrook showed what he actually is as a player in the last season. He averaged a triple-double the entire season and Kobe liked the way Westbrook led his team single-handedly through the regular season and to the playoffs too. His historic season with the MVP title and also he passed Oscar Robertson for most triple-doubles in a season.

#2 Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry

The 2-time NBA MVP, the best shooter in NBA history has the Mamba Mentality in him. Stephen Curry's game has been astonishing to this league because no one has ever seen a player being such a great shooter.

According to ESPN.com, Bryant was asked before the 2016 NBA Finals about the players he likes, Kobe said Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the players who are 'Cold-stone killers'. Kobe said they have the Kobe instincts in them, they don't care about who is criticizing them for their game, their shooting, taking so many shots.

Curry while being the 1st ever Unanimous NBA MVP in the 2015-16 NBA season had the best NBA regular season a player could ever have. He broke many records in that season like most 3-pointers in a season, most games with a 3-pointer, and many more.

#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo - Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis is a 6'11" Point Guard and he is one of the best players who match with Kobe's instincts. He took a massive leap in terms of his game and has been outstanding so far. Giannis is just 22-years-old and is on the verge to become one of the best players in the league.

Giannis took Kobe's challenge after the 5-time Champion challenged him to be the MVP in the 2017-18 NBA season. Giannis ability to attack the basket is amazing, he can play at both ends of the floor and can dominate any position on the court. Giannis is the only player in the NBA history to be in the top 20 in terms of points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks for a single season.

Giannis also had Kobe as his idol while growing up in Greece and came into the league to be like him. Giannis is surely a student of Kobe's Mamba Mentality University and can be the rank-holder in that university too!