Even though it’s been over two years since he hung up his sneakers, Kobe Bryant remains to be a figure fellow athlete look up to. That includes players from different sports such as Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who grew up taking learning from the Black Mamba’s renowned discipline and borderline manic work ethic
In a short clip made by the Raiders, Carr detailed how he discovered Bryant as a young kid looking for a person he could mold himself after. The Raiders’ signal-caller also shared how the five-time NBA champion continues to inspire him to this day.
Mamba mentality is not just a basketball thing 🐍 (via @raiders)https://t.co/9ZQjwmYZQu
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 24, 2018
Article Continues Below“When I was young, I want to follow the most competitive person I could find. And so out of everyone I looked at, I thought that Kobe was the most competitive person out there. That’s why I began read, watch videos, interviews, documentaries, everything. And as I begin to watch him and learn… I watched work on the court and in practice then I would watch him playing the games and it inspired me. It instilled a work ethic in me that my dad taught me. And then watching Kobe showed me how to do it.”
Derek Carr is still looking for his first Super Bowl win in his young NFL Career, but he’s proven himself to be a capable quarterback, who can show the Raiders the way to the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Under new coach Jon Gruden, Carr and the Raiders will look to bounce back from a disappointing 6-10 season, which came right after the team finished with a 12-4 record in 2016 and made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
Some Black Mamba mentality will definitely help Carr achieve his Super Bowl dreams.