SOCCER
Mamba FC, the soccer team that Kobe Bryant left behind
The Los Angeles Lakers legend was very passionate about football and he started a team based on his ‘Mamba’ mentality that helped him reach glory in the NBA.
On Tuesday 23 August 2022, Kobe Bryant would’ve turned 44 years old and many fans, celebrities and athletes around the world are celebrating the NBA legend. His wife, Vanessa Bryant, shared a tribute to her late husband by writing: ‘Happy birthday baby! I love you and miss you so much.’
Kobe’s passion for soccer
The Los Angeles Lakers great loved soccer because when he was eight years old, he lived in Reggio Calabria, Italy, where he learned about the sport and became a fan. Bryant had a great relationship with FC Barcelona legends Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. Bryant was constantly seen wearing Barça’s jersey and visiting the team in Spain during the NBA’s off-season.
His love for soccer made him start Mamba FC, a team that was built based on the mentality that made him reach glory during his time with the Lakers in the National Basketball Association. Mamba FC focuses on the development of girls and boys in soccer and their philosophy is to teach life through sport.
“We inspire and give our players purpose and direction for more than just the game. Commitment, hard work and sacrifice directly impact player mentality and through this we help our players build a foundation that will support them in life and sport. We are a soccer club that focuses on quality, not quantity. Our goal is to impact athletes on a global level with our player development techniques,” reads a caption on the club’s website.
Kobe Bryant’s 10 rules
- Get better every single day
- Prove them wrong
- Work on your weakness
- Execute what you practiced
- Learn from greatness
- Learn from wins and losses
- Practice mindfulness
- Be ambitious
- Believe in your team
- Learn storytelling