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When I'm in that cage, bro, don't [ __ ] touch me. Don't talk to me. What's up, basketball brain fans and members? Please like, subscribe, hit the notification bell to get the best mental training in the world.
Kobe Bryant was a psycho. He's a psychopath. Everyone who knew him knew that about him. When it was game time, Kobe switched his personality. He became the Black Mamba.
It's very interesting to study split personalities because in certain people, when they're in one personality, they have allergies to flowers. You even show them fake flowers and they have allergies. And another personality, they have no allergies to flowers at all. And one personality, they have depression. And another personality, they're the happiest person you'd ever meet.
You need to have the ability when you step onto the floor that you're a different person. Kobe actually compared it to the gladiator movie. When Maximus bends down and he grabs the earth, it switches in his mind. You become a warrior in that moment. Black Mamba, like, how did that happen? It's a good separation for me, you know, emotionally, to be able to put myself in a place where at practice or when I'm training or during games, I switch my mind to something else. I switch my mode into something else. Right? For me, it's the equivalent of Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator picking up the dirt, smelling the dirt. It's go time. You're like Batman. You're like Superman. You put on your suit and you're a different person. Great athletes, when they step on the floor, their mind shifts. I've told athletes for years, when you step onto the court, in that moment, pretend something happens in you. You're a new person, full of confidence, concentration, focus, and ferocity. You're a killer.
An old movie I used to love when I was a kid, it was called Over the Top. It's with Sylvester Stallone and he's an arm wrestler. He drives a truck and his passion is to be a world champion arm wrestler. And I know it sounds corny and it's sort of a corny movie, but there's this moment in there where when it's time for him to really turn it on, to really pull with all his strength, he switches his hat on from forward to backward and he says, "It's like a switch." What's your switch? I tell you, when you step on the floor, that could be your switch. When you tie your shoes, that could be your switch. There needs to be something that's like a switch for you that puts you into the zone.
Now, I say Kobe was a psychopath, but he was a special sort of psychopath. Let me explain. Watch this really quick. I used to uh play the Halloween theme song over and over and over in my headphones pre-game. Seriously. Seriously. So before certain games, Kobe was listening to this song on repeat. Right? Now, why was he listening to it? To get himself revved up, amped up? So he's bouncing off the wall, he's gonna go out there like a pit bull, a pissed-off pit bull, and tear everybody apart? No. Listen further as to why he picked this song. Seriously. And it was important that it was Michael Myers because the mask itself was void of emotion. Void of emotion. Psychotic pressure has nothing to do with hype. Has nothing to do with camaraderie. Stone cold killer. You see, most guys listen to music to like, rev up. Kobe liked this because the music put him in a trance and the mask showed no emotion.
We've talked about being the killer in the James Bond movie, Casino Royale. James Bond is told to be a monk and a hitman. This may be too much for a blunt instrument to understand, but arrogance and self-awareness seldom go hand in hand. So you want me to be half monk, half hitman? Any thug can kill. I want you to take your ego out of the equation and to judge the situation dispassionately. To be somebody who has their emotions under control and highly skilled. That's what Kobe was interested in being. His mind was calm. His face showed business, but he was in control.
One of my favorite rap lyrics of all time is from Mobb Deep, Prodigy of Mobb Deep. Rest in peace. And rest in peace, Kobe. Well, Prodigy had one of these great rap lyrics. It's gangster rap. It's violent. I don't listen to violent rap anymore, but when I was a kid, I loved this and I listened to this music before I'd go to play. He said in one song, before he gets in a gunfight, he says, "There's no signs of anger or fear because you're the one in danger. Pick up the handle and insert the potion. [ __ ] the [ __ ] back in a calm like motion." No signs of anger or fear 'cause you're the one in danger. You know you're putting the competition in danger when you go out there. They should be scared of you. Why? Because you've put in more reps. You've practiced harder. You've approached every game, every pickup game like it was Game 7. You are always attacking, always, always, always attacking. And you were training your mind. You have the upper hand physically. You have the upper hand with skill. And you definitely have the upper hand mentally. This is what it takes to be great. Rep the skill and develop a killer mindset. Have a face like this mask when you go out to play like Kobe. There's no sign of anger or fear in your face because they're the ones in danger.
This is Basketball Brain. Please like, subscribe, hit the notification bell. Go to basketballbrain.com, sign up today for $19.95 per year. Go to jumpshotbible.com to get your form perfect. I just launched that. Great response there. And also boingvert.com if you want to sky through the air, if you want to dunk. Peace out, guys.
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Growing up, I was always interested in the mental game. After years of study, I developed the Basketball Brain program. My life is devoted to helping others achieve their greatness. I hope you'll like, subscribe. And if you take a chance with the Basketball Brain program, I promise you, your game is going to reach levels that you never thought possible.