“L”oving KOBE. The MAMBA DRIVE.

Kobe Bryant. What is it that I really like about Kobe? It’s what I call the Mamba Drive.

Sure I thought I could never love another after Magic Johnson retired. Nobody could take his place! But, then I saw this art in the making. I begin to make room in my purple and gold heart for this…”Kobe.” Before we knew what “it” was we knew “it” was something that could not be denied. It was called arrogance but, I called it youth. It was called cockiness but, I called it confidence. It was called selfishness but, I called it trying to fill the shoes he was given. Was it those things at times? Sure. We watched Kobe grow and mature. But, what I have come to realize is those things displayed at the moment he made the shot or scored all of those points was simply the way HARD WORK  in the DARK manifested on the court (LIFE). It was the pay off of the gift executed by hard work. He took his gift seriously. He never took it for granted. He never played it shy either. I like that.

It’s the tirelessness. It’s the practice over and over and over again. It’s the work he put in on his own time. He said “He was born for it (basketball).” It’s the comeback kid in him. It’s the leave it all on the court…simply relentless. It’s the learning how to lead and letting your teammates shine. It’s the becoming of WE without giving up the ME. It’s the let them talk about me but, I will not say I am not GREAT so they can feel comfortable. I worked hard to be GREAT. It’s the I came to work TO WORK  now stop talking because we are on the clock. It’s the MAMBA DRIVE. THE MAMBA DRIVE produces a MAMBA ZONE. That is what you saw on the court. That is what you see in life. You see a person that won’t give up and then you them in a zone.

The MAMBA DRIVE is created through perseverance. You earn the right to say I KNOW I AM GOOD AT THIS because I work hard to be the BEST at this. I study every angle. I come to dominate. I came here to be competitive in my calling and yes…to talk a little trash along the way. The MAMBA DRIVE doesn’t give up or in. It disregards what others have to say because the MAMBA DRIVE demands a close relationship with self. You know your own voice. It is the voice you listen to all the time. Make this move. Go that way. You got a little more left in you. You’re tired? Your opponent is not tired. Lead. Rest. Don’t stop. Don’t quit. Don’t look at the score board. Don’t listen to the critics. Listen to me. The MAMBA DRIVE.