KOBE WAS WATERBOARDED BY NAVY SEALS in the ultimate test of Mamba Mentality
Last year, Kobe's former athletic trainer Gary Vitti came out with a book in which he shared some of his experiences with Kobe and gave insight into many aspects of Kobe's physical and mental training.
We already know that mamba mentality is what separated Kobe from his competition, and in his words, made him "a different animal and the same beast."
But what people seem to forget, however, is the fact that in order to achieve Mamba Mentality, one must put himself through mental and physical torture so that one can transcend into a competitive mindset that is unparalleled. Then and only then, one can join Kobe in a realm of legendary greatness.
We've seen examples of this with other NBA greats, and obviously, students of master Kobe such as the time Kyle Korver worked out by diving to the bottom of the ocean and then carried rocks from point A to point B.
Or when Steph Curry uses strobe light eyewear that makes it seems like the game has slowed down to improve his brain function. It’s sort of like a gym for the brain – you overload the brain by making it make decisions with limited information.
If that's not taking it to an extreme, NBA legend Karl Malone was known for his 365 days a year workout regime that involved everything from parachute sprints to balancing boards and your basic weight programs – some of the stuff was cutting edge at the time.
But according to Vitti, no one in the history of the NBA has taken his approach to training as far as The Mamba. If you ever watched an interview or listened to a podcast, you know how philosophical Kobe is about basketball and work ethic. He doesn’t only want to challenge his mind and body – he wants to challenge his character, his will. It seems nothing was too extreme for Kobe.
Sometimes so extreme that some people would hard it find to believe that one time Kobe did something, you would only imagine the likes of David Goggins doing.
For those of you who don't know, David Goggins is an American ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, motivational speaker, and author. He is also a retired United States Navy SEAL and former United States Air Force Tactical Air Control Party member who served in the Iraq War.
By now, you must be asking yourself what in the world did Kobe do be compared to one of the world's toughest minds? Well... just read the caption below:
Look, training with NAVY Seals isn’t a new thing. Football players and basketball players have done it in the past. But I seriously doubt it any other athlete saw any value in being waterboarded. Simulating drowning as an interrogation technique is obviously horrible. Just a small amount of water poured over your face can make it feel like you are at the bottom of the ocean.
But Kobe obviously saw an opportunity to learn about himself – how does it feel, and how would he react in such an extreme environment. If you push yourself to such extremes, taking a buzzer-beater in front of 18,000 people doesn’t seem so stressful anymore, does it?
