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Michael Cooper Reveals That Kobe Bryant Already Had His ‘Mamba Mentality’ As A Teenager

Michael Cooper was one of the best defenders of his time. Being a key member of the Showtime Lakers, Cooper not only won five championships, but was also named to eight NBA All Defensive Teams, as well as the league’s defensive player of the year in 1987. 

Years later, a 40-year old Cooper was shortly brought out of retirement by Jerry West, who wanted the former DPOY to guard Kobe Bryant for his pre-draft workout. Cooper still was athletic and actively involved in the game as a Lakers coaching assistant. As we all know, Kobe Bryant dominated, displaying toughness, confidence, footwork, explosiveness, and an already present ‘Mamba Mentality’, which led to the Lakers trading for him on draft night in 1996.

Cooper now was guest on the ‘Basketball Time Machine’ podcast and among other things, talked about that infamous pre-draft workout with Kobe. Cooper revealed that Bryant already having his ‘Mamba Mentality’ at only 17-years of age, is what impressed him the most that day.

“At 17 years old, I was impressed by two things: One; his physical strength. I didn’t think he would be that strong, because again, we’re still developing out body as teenagers, and two; his mental determination. That’s something that a lot of kids don’t get until you get like four, five years in the league.

That mental determination of not being denied, and that goes along with the whole concept of Mamba Mentality, I saw that early on…”