Mamba Week
Day Two: Focus
"It's a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday."
Kobe Bryant on Mamba Mentality
Focus: The Steps to Greatness
Kobe defined Focus as: the ability to concentrate, stay disciplined and build skills. Kobe's Focus was unmatched; he knew what he wanted and he had a plan to get there. Not just for himself, but for his teammates, friends and peers like Diana Taurasi or athletes he mentored like Jewell Loyd. Find out how Mamba Mentality helped sharpen their focus, and how you can apply the same tools to your goals.
The Focus Kobe showed through his entire career is present throughout Diana Taurasi's as well. She channelled his Focus in bringing her own sense of Mamba Mentality to women's basketball and beyond.
Being better every day amongst the pressures of team and competition takes discipline, and when the Focus is lacking, it's near-impossible to do. Diana says "He instilled that work ethic in a generation of players that were just the same age as he was, and now the younger generation".
"I focus on one thing and one thing only—that's trying to win as many championships as I can".
Kobe Bryant
Focus is what's taken Diana to the very top. Being one of the best in a league full of the world's greatest players is not easy. But Focus is what helped her cut through everything to make those huge wins more of a reality than a dream.
"He brought it every single game. He never took a possession off. Just the mental concentration and focus. That's the one thing I learnt from him more than anything".
Diana Taurasi
For Jewell Loyd, Kobe's mentorship was invaluable. "We were pretty much talking once a week. I always asked him questions regardless of what it was. A lot of the time it was basketball. A lot of times it wasn't basketball, but just the mindset things and the things he focused on and worked on. And he became my mentor officially, shortly after that".
When being better every day is the most important goal, Focus is the guiding light. Jewell understands this because it speaks to her success in sport, and life in general. Kobe's unstoppable Focus still resonates today. "He was definitely on another level. I haven't met anybody that understands his level of Focus", says Jewell.
"It's a dedication. It's a sacrifice that you have to give up, because you're so intent on becoming great".
Jewell Loyd
Throughout both their respective basketball careers, Mamba Mentality has shone through in everything Diana Taurasi and Jewell Loyd do. And it's helped women's basketball reach even greater heights.
Without Focus, the clarity of the mission isn't as sharp. And whether your mission is to win championships or just improve your game every single day, you need to see it to believe it, to make it happen.
Put Your Mamba Mentality to Work
Here's two ways you can start being better, right now.
Rise to the Mamba Mentality Challenge
Sharpen your Focus with the Mamba Mentality Challenge on NTC—a series of daily workouts designed to help you be better every day. Start now to track your progress between Day One and Day Five of Mamba Week.