18-year-old Kobe Bryant’s WILD gun encounter with NYC street guy revealed by Record Label founder Steve Stoute

Kobe Bryant's Mamba Mentality was the basis of his drive throughout his illustrious NBA career.

18-year-old Kobe Bryant’s WILD gun encounter with NYC street guy revealed by Record Label founder Steve Stoute

Steve Stoute revealed that 18-year-old Kobe Bryant's Mamba Mentality was evident when he did not leave when a person pulled a gun on Stoute

Kobe Bryant‘s mentality is famous in the basketball world. Famously known as the ‘Mamba Mentality’, it became synonymous with an elite obsession with being great at anything.

Bryant is known to have had that mentality from a young age. This was confirmed after United Masters CEO Steve Stoute revealed how a young Kobe Bryant’s mindset shaped his career. 

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Steve Stoute was speaking with NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe on his show, Club Shay Shay. Stoute recalled the time when a young Kobe Bryant stayed with him for six weeks. Stoute and Bryant were at a diner when Bryant was roasting another person in the diner about his clothing. The person went outside and asked for Stoute to come out.

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I go outside and the guy got the gun out, I'm like yo he's a young man, he's cool. Kobe comes outside, sees the gun, and I'm like 'Go back in'. He's like 'I'm not going nowhere'. He did that at 18.
Stoute stated the events

What stunned Stoute was the mentality of Kobe Bryant. It was Stoute’s neighborhood, and he could have diffused the situation on his own. But Bryant wanted to be a part of the problem, as he felt he had initiated it. 

Stoute was alluding to the Los Angeles Lakers great’s mentality at that young age. Bryant had everything to lose in that altercation. He was in a situation in a different city, and there was no one from his family there to support him. Bryant stayed put in a scenario from which generally youngsters run away. 

Stoute also revealed to Sharpe that Bryant was dominating other players in Rucker Park at that time. Such was his game that Stoute had to stop Bryant from humiliating his opponents further.

Kobe Bryant’s ‘Mamba Mentality’ defined his NBA career

Kobe Bryant’s drive was evident throughout his career. But former teammate and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal mentioned that Bryant needed a push.

Bryant had to bring out that mentality, as he was initially intimidated by the league’s best players. But once Bryant got his Mamba mentality flowing, he became one of the best players in the game. 

Five NBA titles and 20 years of elite-level basketball have cemented the late great Kobe Bryant as one of the greats of the game. His discipline and skills, coupled with that mindset, helped him create a Hall of Fame career for himself. 

Kobe Bryant might have coined the term ‘Mamba Mentality’ during his storied NBA career. But the roots of that mentality were evident from a very young age.

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