The Mamba Mentality: How Kobe Bryant Pushed Me to Break the Mold
“Just Be Better”. Nike coined this phrase for a commercial in honor of what would have been basketball legend Kobe Bryant’s forty-second birthday. Not only did these three words make for a powerful advertisement, but they can also describe my personality in a nutshell.
Growing up as a basketball player, I had the privilege of witnessing Kobe Bryant’s iconic career. What separated Kobe from your average basketball player was his determination to improve.
His obsession with the game of basketball and relentless work ethic was contagious and ultimately rubbed off on me. Everyday I would hit the court to practice for hours in the hopes of being a little better than I was the day before. At practice, I made it a habit to be the first one to arrive and the last one to leave.
As I got older, the habit of making daily improvement translated to other areas of my life. In school, I was never satisfied with simply getting a passing grade. Whenever I received a rubric for a project, I wasted no time in looking at the minimum requirements to pass. Instead, I would immediately create a plan that would help me get an A. Bringing home A’s and B’s was the standard I set for myself every semester. I didn’t need my parents to set expectations for me because I already expected the most from myself.
However, after spending a year in college, I realized that fourteen years in the education system wasn’t offering me a challenge. I knew what professors wanted from me to get a good letter grade. The routine continued daily: go to class, do homework, repeat. I was becoming robotic. More importantly, I was beginning to become stagnant in my development.
For this reason, I began searching for new opportunities where I can seek my full potential. This was when I discovered Praxis: a one-year startup apprenticeship program and career accelerator for young people who want more than college.
While looking at Praxis’s website, it became clear that they value helping people become the best professionals they can be. Praxis thinks radically different about development. Rather than sitting in a classroom, Praxis believes the best learning comes from experience and building a reputation that shows companies you can provide value.
Unlike college, I recognized the challenge in this. There are no letter grades in the workplace. It’s either you perform or you’re fired. Sink or swim. Instead of being on standby for the next four years, I am ready to take my career in my own hands and once again make strides each day to progress as a person, or in this case professional, just like I did all those years back as a student and athlete.
Although I am years removed from my hooping days, the Nike commercial reminded me of how influential Kobe was in my life. Bryant’s constant encouragement to pursue the best version of myself has become the hallmark of who I am today. As I begin the next chapter of my life as a Praxian, I understand that this move alone does not define me as an individual. Rather, what that shapes me is my desire to be better and willingness to go against the grain. Although the legend tragically passed earlier this year, I am grateful that I was able to adopt his mentality. Fortunately, it will prepare me for success at any stage in life, regardless of what I wish to do in the future.
