"I cannot motivate you to want to win" - Lisa Leslie reflects on conversations with Kobe Bryant that highlight their similar mentalities
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Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, and he willed himself to reach the legendary status he currently finds himself tied to. While his Mamba Mentality is really one of one, there are many other players out there who employ a similar mindset as he did.
One player Bryant bonded with over their shared mentality was Lisa Leslie, who dominated the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks while Bryant was on the Los Angeles Lakers. With that in mind, Leslie recently recalled how their desire to win made them such good friends.
Leslie and Kobe wanted to win at all costs
Bryant made it to the NBA in 1996, a year before Leslie entered the WNBA in 1997. Throughout their respective careers in Los Angeles, both were absolute superstars, racking up a laundry list of accolades and titles before they eventually entered the Hall of Fame.
We all know Bryant was insanely driven to win, and in the WNBA, Leslie used a similar desire to fuel her success. That will to win helped Bryant and Leslie bond, and she shared why she believes finding that common goal as a team is the toughest thing to do in sports.
“Kobe and I used to talk about that, which is so funny because I always think about our conversations about just being ready and how you show up,” Leslie said on The Draymond Green Show. “And the fact that you have to tell your teammates, ‘We got a game tomorrow, so you might not wanna go out tonight.’ I shouldn’t have to explain those things to you because my hard work is a part of what we’re trying to build here, and I need everybody; we need everybody to win. That’s the hard part…I cannot motivate you to want to win. That’s all that I know.”
Lisa used her desire to win to carry her
Playing team sports at any level is difficult, but doing so as a professional while bringing a glamorous lifestyle has downsides. The biggest issue these players and teams encounter is finding a way to put everything together so they can win nightly.
Only one team every year in each league can truly accomplish that goal, and Leslie struggled with it in the NBA. She wanted to win so badly that she couldn’t understand why some of her teammates didn’t feel the same way, which led to a disconnect.
Finding a way to connect those bridges between teammates is the difference between winning a title and missing out on one. Everyone has their own individual objectives on a team, and if those goals don’t all mesh together, the result on the court isn’t going to look all that good.
Leaders like Leslie and Bryant who can step up and lead their teams are crucial, even if their will to win sometimes blinded them. Some people are just built with a different competitive motor, and it’s clear these two were on the same page when it came to winning at all costs.