The stars have to align for an individual to make it all the way to the NBA and flourish once there. Of course, it takes talent, hardwork, and dedication, but at the highest level of competition, almost everyone is as competitive as each other. There is something that differentiates those who succeed from those who flame out, and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum shed some light on the mindset that he imbibed from the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, and Sacramento Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter seconded this approach to the game.

Tatum, in an appearance on the Point Forward Podcast with Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, shared that the Lakers legend spoke one time at a youth basketball camp and shared that he did not have any fallback options — it was get to the NBA and succeed once there or die trying. And the Kings sniper revealed just how life-changing those words were when he first heard them, as it gave him an insight on what it truly takes to pursue one's dreams.

“Remember this. First time I ever heard someone say you shouldn’t have a backup plan,” Huerter wrote on his official Twitter (X) account.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant continues to be a legend even after his passing, and it's stories like these that continue to immortalize his famous Mamba Mentality among those who came after him. These kinds of stories are exactly what sets Bryant apart from his peers. The Black Mamba will be the first one to say that he wasn't the most talented and gifted baller in the world, so instead, he made it a mission to outwork his opponents, and in the process, becoming better than them.

There certainly are wiser ways to approach one's future; putting a backup plan out there isn't the worst idea in the world, as sheer hard work, sometimes, isn't enough in making one's dreams come to fruition. Like Kings guard Kevin Huerter and Celtics wing Jayson Tatum, everyone needs the opportunity and the tutelage from those who have already gone through hell and back. But thriving in the NBA takes an entirely different level of dedication, and players today continue to follow in the footsteps of the Lakers legend.