Mind Control
Slam|November 2018

Heres An Excerpt From Kobe Bryants New Autobiography, Appropriately Titled The Mamba Mentality, Which Touches On Coaching, Mentorship, Dunking, Clutch Buckets And Plenty More.

Kobe Bryant
Mind Control

A good coach is of the utmost importance.

COACHES ARE TEACHERS. Some coaches—lesser coaches—try telling you things. Good coaches, however, teach you how to think and arm you with the fundamental tools necessary to execute properly. Simply put, good coaches make sure you know how to use both hands, how to make proper reads, how to understand the game. Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them. That’s the same at every level.

In certain situations, like in the midst of a game, good coaches relay executional information. They point out what specifically is and isn’t working. Based on that and your own feel for the game, you utilize some of that information immediately and you save some of it in your back pocket for crucial moments during the game. Then, when the time is right...boom!

Phil Jackson was more than just a coach—he was a visionary.

WHEREAS HIS ASSISTANT coach Tex Winter was all about the minutiae. Phil was about the scale. He taught concepts within basketball, but more so the macro concept of basketball. He was able to teach—without lecturing—the importance of being a team and how to get from Point A to Point B to Point Championship. He was also able to get guys to understand energy, flow, and meditation.

Denne historien er fra November 2018-utgaven av Slam.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra November 2018-utgaven av Slam.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA SLAMSe alt
The SUMMER THAT WASN'T
Slam

The SUMMER THAT WASN'T

Playground entry fences chain locked. Rims removed. Leagues canceled. Summer basketball just stopped in 2020. And as its effects extended beyond the blacktop, we were reminded why it's so important.

time-read
8 mins  |
June - July 2021
METAMORPHOSIS
Slam

METAMORPHOSIS

The sport of basketball speaks to so many people in so many ways. Dan Peterson, the founder of Project Backboard, has teamed up with artists to use the beauty of the sport to turn local courts into works of art that are accessible to all.

time-read
4 mins  |
June - July 2021
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S Fire
Slam

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S Fire

For former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, the last three years have had their ups and downs. Now that he and the Phoenix Suns are back on the way up, DA wants everyone to know that's where they're planning to stay.

time-read
10+ mins  |
June - July 2021
Now What?
Slam

Now What?

As North Carolina rapper J. Cole transitioned from up-and-comer to full-blown vet, he came to a realization: staying sharp and fighting off complacency ain't easy. Inspired by his love for basketball and his desire to remain on top of the game, the 36-year-old has been treating music like a competitive sport while he readies his next project: The Off-Season.

time-read
10+ mins  |
June - July 2021
ONE STEP AT A Time
Slam

ONE STEP AT A Time

NBA and G League vet Jeremy Lin and Loyola Marymount's Anthony Yu speak candidly about the ups and downs of being Asian American in the basketball world.

time-read
9 mins  |
June - July 2021
THE GARDEN Blooms
Slam

THE GARDEN Blooms

The Knicks are back. Deadass, they're back. A return to the tough, gritty, resilient style that made the teams of the past so dominant has allowed Saba Julius Randle and RJ Barrett and the Knicks an opportunity to compete for homecourt advantage in the 2021 playoffs. Facts.

time-read
10 mins  |
June - July 2021
CITIZEN OF THE World
Slam

CITIZEN OF THE World

Congolese native Yannick Nzosa played for professional teams in Italy and Spain before he turned 17. Now that his name is moving up the 2022 pre-draft boards, the former soccer player has one thing front and center in his mind—succeeding for his family back home.

time-read
8 mins  |
June - July 2021
STRONG Island
Slam

STRONG Island

Mental fortitude and physical toughness are what's helped Long Island's Arella Guirantes make it all the way to the W.

time-read
3 mins  |
June - July 2021
KICK IN THE Door
Slam

KICK IN THE Door

The WNBA, now in its 25th season, is the longest-running women's sports league ever. SLAM sat down with four of the most influential players of all time Diana Taurasi, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sue Bird to discuss their part in making the League the force it is today.

time-read
10+ mins  |
June - July 2021
Can't YOU SEE
Slam

Can't YOU SEE

It ain't hard to tell that supernatural vision has established Nuggets star Nikola Jokic as a clear candidate for the 2021 MVP Award.

time-read
8 mins  |
June - July 2021