Nick Van Exel Recalls Kobe Bryant’s Relentless Early Work Ethic
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Los Angeles, CA — Former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel says Kobe Bryant’s famed “Mamba Mentality” was already on full display when the future Hall of Famer was an 18-year-old rookie buried on the 1996-97 depth chart.
Speaking on the “Out the Mud” podcast with Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, Van Exel described a teenager who routinely declared, “I’m the best one-on-one player in the league,” despite being the 11th man on a 56-win team that exited in the second round of the playoffs.
“He wanted Eddie’s spot, he wanted Ceballos’, he wanted all them cats at that wing position,” Van Exel said, referring to veterans Eddie Jones and Cedric Ceballos. “We had so many guys more ready to win a championship. He wasn’t ready at that age, but that didn’t stop him.”
Van Exel recalled Bryant’s response after firing a series of late-game airballs that ended the Lakers’ 1997 postseason. “We got back to L.A. and he went straight to the gym and started shooting,” the former All-Star noted.
The retired guard, who later played alongside Manu Ginóbili and Dirk Nowitzki, ranked Bryant’s dedication above both European stars. “Kobe ran laps around them when it comes to working. It wasn’t even close,” he said.
Van Exel outlined one of Bryant’s practice routines: following regular workouts, the rookie challenged power forwards Sean Rooks, Elden Campbell, and Corie Blount—who played only defense— to score-or-nothing drills in which a Bryant basket counted as one point for him, while any miss gave the defenders a point.
“His work ethic was unbelievable,” Van Exel added. “I hate these young cats now that say ‘Mamba Mentality’ and don’t work, because I know what he did.”
Bryant, who eventually captured five NBA titles with the Lakers, forged the principles later branded as “Mamba Mentality” during those formative late-1990s seasons, Van Exel said.
Source: Lakers Nation
