The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Bryant mentions (and his teammates and coaching staff included also observed) that after a basketball game was over, there were many players who made their way to the showers to clean up, get dressed, and go home back to their hotels, or to their next commitments as quickly as possible. Bryant, however, considered the breakdown aspect of his process to be just as important as the preparation, warmups, and practices that lead up to it. He always stayed afterward, often after attending meet and greets with fans, to participate in bath, ice, heat, and physical therapies, according to his needs, so that he could ensure that he was addressing his athletic well-being with intentionality. This was also a time for him to read, reflect on how he was feeling, physically and emotionally after a game, or ask questions of the personal trainers. While he never faulted the other players for wanting to leave after their responsibilities for the night were concluded, Bryant considered the breakdown part of his after-game process to be an essential component of his overall routine, and it is possible that the 20-year longevity of his career could be connected to how conscientious and committed he was to his breakdown rituals.