Today, Kobe Bryant is not only known as one of the best players in Los Angeles Lakers history but he’s also considered one of the top five players to ever be in the NBA.
The man is a legend who inspired millions of fans as well as nearly every young player in the league today.
For a long time, Bryant was seen as the best player in the league and he won multiple championships, MVPs, and numerous other awards.
But it didn’t start in such an impressive way.
26 years ago Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut
It’s not how you start but how you finish 🐍 pic.twitter.com/HnOWjihRxr— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) November 3, 2022
Bryant entered the NBA 26 years ago this week and it’s a good time to look back at the beginning of his career.
Compared to what he’d later become, the start of Bryant’s reign of power wasn’t that impressive.
During his first five games, Bryant scored 0 points, followed by 1 against the New York Knicks, 5 against the Hornets, 10 against the Raptors, and just 2 against the Hawks.
That’s not an astonishing start for the Black Mamba.
In fact, he only scored more than 20 points 4 times in his first year and had zero double-doubles.
Did you know that Bryant actually went scoreless 14 times in his first year with the Lakers?
See, greatness doesn’t always happen right away.
Sometimes it takes a moment – but it’s always worth it.
Mamba Mentality
While Bryant didn’t start off with a bang, he always had something that not many others did: a hard-working mindset that never let him rest.
Because of this, Bryant became better and better and always pushed himself – and his team – to the limit, expecting the very best not just from himself but others around him.
This sort of Mamba Mentality lives on in younger players to this day.
It inspires people to remember that greatness can always be achieved and people can always get better.
NEXT: LeBron James Opened Up About His Wednesday Night Performance