Thank You, Kobe

for Leaving So Many Success Lessons With Us

It still stings to say the late Kobe Bryant. And it's an understatement to say that we are sorry he is no longer with us. We feel especially sad for his family, who lost both Kobe and his daughter Gianna. 

I was fortunate to have known Kobe and to have worked with him through Nike events. As a coach, our Celtics and Clippers teams faced him on the court. Kobe taught me many lessons during those years, and I believe he could have taught all of us many more lessons had his life not been cut short. There was so much left in that mind of his that would have helped people from all backgrounds and all walks of life. Regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age -- his teachings did not and would not have discriminated. 

Kobe is often associated with the "MAMBA Mentality," something most people think was some magical mantra or some secret sauce. In fact, as Kobe has often said, 

"It's really not that complicated. It's simply a matter of trying to get better every day."

And how was he able to do this? His mindset.

"Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses."

The lesson here is that improvement and success are available to all of us if we are willing to pay the price for both. It is the mindset that anything that is valuable (growth, improvement, and success) will and should have a price to it. It should make us work to earn it -- not wait to get it. 

I encourage you to read more about the lessons Kobe left with us. He may not be with us physically, but his thoughts and wisdom are everywhere if we spend the time to find them. Look for those lessons and maybe spend some Think Time on them. Then try to apply those lessons to your own life as you work toward your goals!* 

*Two lessons I learned from Kobe are part of my new program, The Challenge Series