NBA: Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality Displayed By Indiana Pacers Starter

The NBA honored the late great Kobe Bryant on February 24 as a nod to 2/24 – a representation of his daughter Gigi’s number and his iconic 24. It was a touching memorial to remember the lives of the victims of the helicopter crash last January 26. The flock of fans, players and legends flocked to Staples Center to pay their respects.

Kobe has had numerous moments that will stand out as an iconic NBA career. The five-time NBA champion and former MVP has accomplished so much as an LA Laker. But beyond this, he has influenced the lives of many with his work ethic and his determination to achieve his goals.

He is the purveyor of the Mamba Mentality: The mindset that seeks to extract every ounce of greatness in a person. One of the more memorable moments of Kobe’s unparalleled grit is when he ruptured his Achilles in a 2012 regular-season game against the Golden State Warriors.

He went down late in the fourth quarter when the Achilles tear happened. But before he could be subbed out, he calmly sunk two free throws to tie the game.

His legacy lives on and teams, players, and the entire world have been doing their own tribute for the Black Mamba. But there’s no bigger way of honoring the man by playing hard for the love of the game. Indiana Pacers guard Jeremy Lamb exemplified this in their recent matchup against the Toronto Raptors.

It was announced today that Lamb sustained a torn ACL, torn lateral meniscus and a knee fracture in the game. The injury came from a fast break play where Lamb took it hard to the rim but was fouled hard on the shot. It was a normal basketball play but it, unfortunately, resulted in an awkward landing.

But just like Kobe, Lamb refused to be immediately subbed out. He went to the line and attempted his two free throws for his team. And as to how Kobe would have done it, Lamb made them with ease before he could head to the bench.