What I learned from rereading The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant.

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Episode outline:

If you really want to be great at something, you have to truly care about it. If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of people say they want to be great, but they're not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns and they spread themselves out. That's totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody. Greatness isn't easy to achieve. It requires a lot of time.

You can't achieve greatness by walking a straight line.

Respect to those who do achieve greatness and respect to those who are chasing that elusive feeling.

May you find the power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own.

He dedicates a lot of time in this book to the importance of learning from and studying the great people that came before you.

Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant by Roland Lazenby (Founders #272)

His dissection of the game was at another level. In my entire career, I’ve never seen a player as dedicated to being the best. His determination is unparalleled. He unquestionably worked harder than anyone else I have ever played with.

Kobe knew that to be the best you need a different approach from everyone else.

If I wanted to implement something new into my game, I'd see it and try incorporating it immediately. I wasn't scared of looking bad or being embarrassed.

I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best. I never needed any external forces to motivate me.

If something has worked for other greats before you, and if something is working for you, why change it up and embrace some new fad? Stick with what works, even if it's unpopular.

Kobe mentions reading: Jackie Robinson’s autobiography

Reading is forced meditation.

I never thought about my daily preparation. It wasn't a matter of whether it was an option or not. It was, if I want to play, this is what I have to do, so l'd just show up and do it.

I always found that short 15 minute cat naps gave me all the energy I would need for peak performance.

Your routine can change but your obsession can not.

You can find an edge by doing things your competitors are not doing.

I revere the players who made the game what it is, and cherish the chances I had to pick their brains. Anything that I was seeing or going to see, any type of defense or offense or player or team—they had already encountered years before. I talked with them to learn how to deal with those challenges.

I devoured Bill Russel’s autobiography. There were a lot of valuable lessons in there.

If you wanna win championships, you have to let people focus on what they do best, while you focus on what you do best.

You train an animal. You teach a person —Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary & Social Innovator by Robert E. Price (Founders #107)

In our first year together, he (Tex Winter) and I would rewatch every single game together. Preseason, regular season, playoffs. That's a lot of basketball.

As I learned time and again, success in business often rests on a minute reading of the regulations that impact your business. —Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys by Joe Coulombe. (Founders #188)

Coach K is really intense. He and I approach winning and losing the same way in that winning is the goal, and losing is, well, losing isn't even on the table.

Coach K in The Redeem Team documentary: Understand the responsibility. I know I’m not going to fucking lose. I am not going to fucking lose. Not when I’m wearing this (team USA jersey) and not at this time in my career. You’re going to have to fucking shoot me. That’s how I want you to play.

These greats won't hang around you if you don't display the same passion as they do. They won't share their time and memories with you if you don't display the same effort and drive for excellence that they did. I was accepted so quickly because everyone saw how hard I worked. They saw how badly I wanted to fulfill my destiny.

The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen. (Founders #255)

It is to the point where if you know the basics, you have an advantage on the majority of players.

“There are two things in business that matter, and you can learn this in two minutes- you don’t have to go to business school for two years: high gross margins and cash flow. All companies that go out of business do so for the same reason – they run out of money.” —Don Valentine

I felt that my destiny was already written. I felt I knew that my future was undeniable and no one, not a person or a play, could derail it.

This is the goal. This is my goal: For almost a decade he did nothing but address weaknesses and add to his game. Now his skill set is completely fleshed out. His game has no weaknesses. He's a nightmare to go up against, and he's worked to achieve that status.

That's the money right there: That thirst and quest for information and improvement.

Driven From Within by Michael Jordan and Mark Vancil. (Founders #213)

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Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here.

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Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast