YouTuber with 352,000,000 subscribers makes his feelings known on Kobe Bryant's mamba mentality with glowing praise

Kobe Bryant’s impact transcended basketball. Many, including non-sports fans, mourned his passing in 2020. Bryant’s approach to the game and in life, compiled in his “The Mamba Mentality” mantra, influenced generations.

YouTuber MrBeast, who has 352 million subscribers on the platform, appeared on The Big Podcast with Shaq on Wednesday to chat with Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant's legendary teammate. When asked by O’Neal about who is the “MrBeast” of basketball, the YouTuber responded:

“You already know. Obviously, Kobe [Bryant]. I mean, his mindset, he was all in. He lived and breathed it. I relate very well to him. I read his biography and I just love watching videos of him talk. Nothing gets me more fired up than hearing his mindset.”

Kobe Bryant released “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” in 2018. The autobiography detailed his approach to the game that made him one of the most popular stars on the planet. Bryant’s highly-sought book also dug into his insights about life that allowed his work to be relevant even for non-basketball players like MrBeast.

KB24's unrelenting work ethic and tireless desire to be better resounded with the social media influencer. Despite the competition and simple start, MrBeast is now the most subscribed personality on YouTube. He has more subscribers than the US population, per Koimoi.

On TikTok, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) combined, James Stephen “Jimmy” Donaldson in real life, has over 202.2 million followers. MrBeast is now worth $1 billion, per Celebrity Net Worth.

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Shaquille O’Neal insists that Kobe Bryant should be in the GOAT conversation

Shaquille O’Neal, who teamed up with Kobe Bryant to give the LA Lakers a three-peat, left the franchise partly because of Bryant. In his Hall of Fame speech, he half-jokingly told the crowd that the Black Mamba pushed him out of Hollywood.

Despite their feud, which they hashed out after their NBA careers, O’Neal has nothing but praise for KB24.

In one of the episodes of his podcast last year, Shaq had this to say about his late teammate:

“The only thing I don't like about the [GOAT] conversation is they don't put my boy [Kobe Bryant] in it. If you're gonna be throwing names around, you gotta have my boy's name in it. That's like saying, ‘What are the best luxury cars out there? Lexus or Beemer?' You gotta put the Mercedes in there too.”

Kobe Bryant was a five-time champ and a two-time NBA Finals MVP who also earned 18 All-Star selections. He was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame. Five years after his passing, the life and mindset of the Black Mamba continue to impress and influence people.