The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is the autobiographical book of NBA player Kobe Bryant, where he provides personal insights on his life and basketball career. The book was published by Macmillian Publishers on October 28, 2018, with photography and an afterword by sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein.
The book is broken up into several sections where Bryant describes the progression of his mentality and training throughout his career. Each section is heavily accompanied by visuals.
The foreword of the book is written by Bryant's former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Pau Gasol. He begins by telling the story of his 2008 trade from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Lakers, where Kobe inspired Gasol to be a part of the team's goal of winning the NBA Championship that year. He speaks to Kobe's many qualities including his attention to detail and persistence in telling the team that "to be a better player, you have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more" Gasol concludes by touching on Bryant's impact on him not only as a player but as a "brother" and expresses that the book accurately shows the reader Bryant's mentality.
The introduction of the book is written by Bryant's former Lakers coach Phil Jackson. It is titled "Be Prepared for an Adventure in High-Level Basketball" as Jackson introduces how the mixture of Bernstein's visuals and Bryant's insights can make the reader a better player.
Bryant begins by detailing the physical and mental preparation approach he has toward the sport of basketball. "When it Came to Basketball, I Had no Fear" is where he relays how he wanted to be the best player possible from a young age. Bryant speaks of his midnight workouts sometimes going from "11(pm)...get a few hours in, rest for a few hours, then get back to the gym around 5 to 7(am)", studying game film, and going through physical therapy to prepare his body and mind for games. His physical therapy routine consists of ice baths, contrast therapy, stretching, and taping.
Bryant then begins to highlight the important staff members and players in his life that contributed positively to his process as an athlete. He first cites Judy Seto and Gary Vitti, both tenure trainers with the Los Angeles Lakers organization, as making him feel "better, stronger, and more prepared" when he worked with them. Additionally, he gives recognition to various sports figures who made an impact on him as a player including Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russel, Byron Scott, Phil Jackson etc.
On the topic of injuries, Bryant speaks to his personal obstacles with them and how he was forced to change his process and perspectives on the game. In December 2009, Bryant fractured his right index finger and it forced him to change his shooting form by making his middle finger the "point of release". However, his "personal Mount Everest" came with his ruptured achilles on April 12, 2013 against the Golden State Warriors. After speaking with Vitti and surgeon Patrick Soon-Shiong, he underwent surgery and saw this as a new challenge for himself as it "was not going to let it beat" himself.
The section finishes with Bryant reflecting on his leadership with the National Basketball Team and the Lakers as well as defining the "mamba mentality". With Team USA, he described himself as "the alpha in the locker room" and younger teammates looked up to him for guidance He describes his leadership style as "making them (people) uncomfortable" and daring "people to be their best selves" but tailored his approach to different teammates. He finally defines the "mamba mentality" as being about the "journey and not the result", and the central purpose for the book is to continue to allow people to "find inspiration" in his lessons on basketball and his mindset.
In "craft", Bryant speaks to his technique decisions on the court and the fellow players that inspired his game. Throughout this section, Bryant provides detailed annotations and drawings on game photos to articulate his thought process in that moment. He acknowledges his teammates Shaquille O'Neal, Carson Butler, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher for being "special players" and helping him learn more about technique. Bryant also recognizes his great competitors in Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Ruben Patterson and many more and how he approached playing each differently based on their strengths and weaknesses. Bryant further details the skills of his competitors while mentioning the important areas of focus on the court including footwork, hand-eye coordination, "size up the defense", and contact as he "enjoyed hitting, and getting hit."
Bryant's insights end with going "deeper than hoops" with Bryant talking about his connection with Pau Gasol and highlighting all the highs and lows that come with the sport. He expresses his value in winning championships and how losses and wins do not change his game as he is "in the gym the same time after losing 50 games as I (he) is after winning a championship". The final page is where Bryant reflects on the important experiences and skills the game of basketball has given him. He learned artistry and creativity, without it he "would not have an Emmy, I would not have an Oscar" and how he planned to take the game "everywhere" in his post-basketball career.
In the third section, various "facts and figures" regarding Bryant's life and career are displayed.
"Chronology" lists important milestone dates in Bryant's career are shown. Dates range from the day he was selected in the NBA draft in June 1996 to the final game of his career in April 2016, highlighting important games, records, and awards in across his 20 year career.
The afterword is written by the book's photographer Andrew D. Bernstein, an American sports photographer who is in his 33rd season as the official photographer for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bernstein highlights momentous moments from Bryan't career and claims that Bryant was amongst the few NBA players who were "consistently dynamic and exciting to photograph, game after game, year after year".
As of July 2020, the book spent 27 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list reaching its peak at number 1 in the Sports and Fitness Category.
The books editor at USA Today, Jocelyn McClurg, described The Mamba Mentality: How I Play as "the next best thing to a courtside seat watching Bryant drive to the basket during his glory days with the L.A. Lakers." At The Amazon Book Review, the author touched on how "Bryant has an incredibly detailed approach to preparation...not just a physical approach; it's also mental, [and it] can be applied outside of the game".
Additionally, outlets like Kirkus Reviews, reflected upon the visual elements of the book calling it "is a visually beautiful presentation" thanks to the photos from long-time Lakers photographer Bernstein. Booklist described the emphasized the book's uniqueness with "Bernstein's photography...it's wonderful" and "sets this book apart from the competition".