#272 Kobe Bryant (The Life)

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Oct 19, 2022

Discover the relentless drive behind Kobe Bryant's basketball legacy. Hear how his upbringing shaped an unyielding work ethic that earned him respect from peers like LeBron James. Learn about the emotional weight athletes carry as they pursue greatness, illustrated by Kobe's fierce dedication during the Olympics. Explore the parallels between Kobe's journey and those of other high achievers like Steve Jobs. Delve into the importance of authenticity in branding and reflect on Kobe's enduring influence.

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ANECDOTE

Kobe's Bold Prediction

Kobe Bryant, from his teen years, boldly predicted he'd be one of the greatest basketball players ever.
This self-belief, despite others' doubts, fueled his relentless pursuit of greatness.

INSIGHT

Belief Before Ability

Belief precedes ability; Kobe's conviction in his future greatness predated his NBA success.
This mindset is crucial for achieving ambitious goals.

ANECDOTE

The Anti-Kobe

Kobe's father, "Jelly Bean", squandered his NBA career due to irresponsibility, including gambling and drug use.
Kobe's extreme dedication appears as overcompensation for his father's failures.

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Estée: A Success Story

Estée Lauder

This book is an autobiography by Estée Lauder, the founder of the Estée Lauder Companies. It recounts her early life, her encounter with her uncle who taught her how to make skin products, and her subsequent journey in building a cosmetics business. The book covers her business triumphs, high society interactions, and the challenges she faced in expanding her company both domestically and internationally. It also highlights her innovative marketing techniques, such as intentionally spilling perfume at Harrods to gain customer attention. The autobiography is a mix of personal reminiscence, business insights, and the tension between her career and family life.

Decoded

Phil Barden

Sol Price

Retail Revolutionary and Social Innovator

Robert E. Price

This book details the life and legacy of Sol Price, who transformed the retail industry with innovative concepts such as warehouse shopping and membership-based pricing. Starting with his early life and his transition from a successful lawyer to a retail entrepreneur, the book chronicles the establishment of FedMart in 1954 and later the Price Club, which influenced retail giants like Walmart, Kmart, and Costco. It highlights Sol Price's emphasis on ethical business practices, fair employee treatment, and customer-centric policies, as well as his innovative strategies such as self-service shopping, consolidation of merchandise, and low-margin pricing. The book also explores his impact on the retail landscape and his later contributions to gentrification of dilapidated areas[2][4][5].

Against the Odds: An Autobiography

Sir James Dyson

This book details Dyson's journey from his early life to the development of his revolutionary bagless vacuum cleaner. It includes his struggles, legal battles, and eventual success after finding support in Japan. The book also critiques various aspects of the British education system and industry.

Leading by Design

The Ikea Story

Bertil Torekull

Ingvar Kamprad

This book tells the story of Ingvar Kamprad and the evolution of IKEA from its inception in 1943, when Kamprad started selling cheap fountain pens, to its current status as a global furniture retailer with 150 stores in 30 countries. The narrative is based on extensive interviews with Kamprad and other key figures, as well as various documents. It highlights Kamprad's drive, vision, and innovative management strategies that enabled IKEA to achieve its success. The book also touches on the company's challenges, including its future prospects and the influence of Kamprad's personal values and family-oriented business model.

Michael Jordan: The Life

Roland Lazenby

This biography, written by Roland Lazenby, delves into the life of Michael Jordan, from his early days in North Carolina to his rise as a global ambassador for basketball. It covers his growth from a skinny rookie to a legendary player and business icon, highlighting his ruthless competitiveness and insatiable drive. The book draws on Lazenby's personal relationships with Jordan's coaches, friends, teammates, and family members, as well as interviews with Jordan himself, to provide a detailed and compelling portrait of the man behind the myth.

Ender's Game

None

Orson Scott Card

Set in a future where humanity is threatened by the Formics, an insect-like alien species, the novel follows Ender Wiggin, a child prodigy who is drafted into Battle School at the age of six. Ender undergoes intense military training, including zero-gravity battles and psychological manipulation, to prepare him to lead the human fleet against the Formics. The book explores themes of war, leadership, and the moral complexities of using children as soldiers. It is known for its deep and complex sensibilities, and its ability to pose profound questions about the nature of war and humanity.

The essays of Warren Buffett

Lessons for Corporate America

Warren Buffett

This book is a comprehensive collection of Warren Buffett's annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, edited by Lawrence A. Cunningham. It provides valuable insights into Buffett's investment philosophy, corporate management, and business strategies. The letters are organized into thematic chapters, making it easier for readers to understand Buffett's views on various topics such as value investing, executive compensation, and market fluctuations. The book is praised for its clarity, wisdom, and practical advice, making it a definitive source for understanding Buffett's approach to business and investing.

The Mamba mentality

How I Play

Kobe Bryant

In this autobiographical book, Kobe Bryant shares his insights on his life and basketball career, highlighting his detailed approach to preparation, both physical and mental. The book includes Bryant's reflections on his leadership, his techniques on the court, and how he studied and competed against other players. It is accompanied by photographs from Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein, capturing Bryant's career from his first to his last NBA game. The book offers a deep dive into the 'Mamba mentality,' which emphasizes the journey over the result and the importance of hard work, dedication, and mental preparation.

Shoe Dog

Phil Knight

Shoe Dog is a memoir that chronicles the journey of Phil Knight as he builds Nike from its humble beginnings as Blue Ribbon Sports. The book is a personal and detailed account of Knight's experiences, from his early days selling Japanese running shoes out of the trunk of his car to the global brand Nike is today. It highlights his relentless work ethic, the challenges he faced, and the key relationships with his partners and employees that were crucial to the company's success. The memoir also touches on Knight's personal life, including his family and the emotional struggles he encountered along the way[1][3][4].

Showboat

The Life of Kobe Bryant

Roland Lazenby

In 'Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant', Roland Lazenby provides a comprehensive and detailed portrait of Kobe Bryant. The book covers Bryant's life from his ancestral influences and childhood, where he was exposed to basketball through his father Joe Bryant, to his illustrious career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Lazenby uses extensive research and numerous interviews to reveal the complexities of Bryant's public image, his personal life, and his relationships on and off the court. The biography is praised for its thoroughness and engaging writing, making it an essential read for basketball fans and those interested in sports biographies.

The Everything Store

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Brad Stone

The Everything Store is a revealing and definitive biography of Amazon.com and its driven founder, Jeff Bezos. The book chronicles Amazon's journey from its humble beginnings as a mail-order book seller to its transformation into a global retail and technology giant. Brad Stone enjoyed unprecedented access to current and former Amazon employees and Bezos family members, providing a detailed, fly-on-the-wall account of life at Amazon. The book highlights Bezos's relentless pursuit of new markets, his innovative ventures such as the Kindle and cloud computing, and how he transformed retail in a manner comparable to Henry Ford's impact on manufacturing.

What I learned from reading Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant by Roland Lazenby.

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Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. You can search all my notes and highlights from every book I've ever read for the podcast. Get access to Founders Notes here.

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[9:15] Notes from The Redeem Team documentary:

30 seconds into the first practice Kobe is diving for loose balls. That set the tone.

Players go clubbing. Come back at 5:30am and see Kobe working out. "This motherfucker Kobe was already drenched in sweat. Yeah he’s different"— LeBron James. By the end of the week the whole team was on Kobe’s schedule.

Understand the responsibility. I know I’m not going to fucking lose. I am not going to fucking lose. Not when I’m wearing this (team USA jersey) and not at this time in my career. You’re going to have to fucking shoot me. That’s how I want you to play. — Coach K

At one point you will have a grandkid on your lap and they will ask you weren’t you in the Olympics ? What did you do? You wanna say: Well son, we lost to that fucking Greek team? —Coach K

When you’re in the Olympic village you're around people who are the best in the world at what they do. That is more special that celebrities in LA because this is athlete to athlete — I understand what they put their body through to get here. There’s so much respect and mutual admiration. —Kobe

What Kobe told team USA going into the 4th quarter: Just think about the play in front of you.

[12:07] At every turn his declarations of future greatness have been met with head shaking and raised eyebrows.

[14:33] It's almost like Kobe's insane level of dedication was like compensation for the bad decision making of his father.

[15:15] 4 parts to Kobe’s blueprint:

Master the fundamentals

Improve your weaknesses

Study the greats

Concentrate

[15:12] Listening to Founders is like watching game tape of history's greatest entrepreneurs.

[15:40] I used to watch their moves and then I'd add them to my game. It was the beginning of a career-long focus on studying game recordings.

[15:48] He would invest long hours each day in breaking down his own performances and those of opponents— far more than what any other NBA player would ever contemplate undertaking.

[17:08] Jay Z’ autobiography: Decoded by Jay Z. (Founders #238)

[21:22] If you’re not good, Jeff will chew you up and spit you out. And if you’re good, he will jump on your back and ride you into the ground. —The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone. (Founders #179)

[21:58] If you're breaking down tape of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan and so many other greats, you come to consider them your teachers.

[22:39] Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. (Founders #186)

[23:00] Jordan and Knight certainly shared a competitive nature that bordered on insanity, Moore added. "If you think Jordan and Kobe are competitive, go meet Phil Knight. He's a no bullshit competitor. It's, 'You play for me or I can't stand you, I will kill you.' That's Phil Knight, full stop. And he's not shy about it.”

[29:30] He studied the game harder than anyone else has ever studied the game.

[30:00] One day just before practice, the team was informed that it couldn't have the gym due to flooding.

“This is bullshit!” he screamed, slamming a ball off the floor. “This is bullshit! We got practice, I want to practice. This is ridiculous!" (He was in high school)

[31:10] Kobe had a closet at home filled with critical research. It held all these VHS tapes of Michael's games.

[32:00] Kobe on Michael Jordan: What you get from me— is from him. I don't get five championships without him because he guided me so much and gave me so much great advice.

[32:22] Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary & Social Innovator by Robert E. Price. (Founders #107)

[35:22] Bryant's workout had been so impressive that for Jerry West, it had revealed his heart. It was there in the skill set alone, in some ways, just the amount of work that a player would have to have done to possess such immaculate moves, the footwork and fakes and execution, the hours that must have been put into that kind of perfection.

[37:55] Part of his strategy for keeping his disappointment at bay was to focus on others who had faced far more difficult circumstances. "I read the autobiography of Jackie Robinson," Bryant said. “I was thinking about all the hard times I'd go through this year, and that it'd never compare to what he went through. That just kind of helped put things in perspective."

[38:50] Kobe’s favorite book was Enders Game by Orson Scott Card.

[39:00] The only way he could keep the whole dream going was to work harder and harder and harder, to spin his fantasies around and around until they wrapped him tight in a new reality.

[39:45] Estée Lauder: A Success Storyby Estée Lauder. (Founders #217)

[41:00] I think that game was vital to how good he became. That level of embarrassment to happen to somebody like him? The next year he came out like a fucking maniac.

[41:15] Leading By Design: The Ikea Story by Bertil Torekull. (Founders #104)

[46:03] Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby. (Founders #212)

[47:00] The best book on the emotional toll entrepreneurs experience: Against The Odds: An Autobiography by James Dyson (Founders #200)

[54:15] Highly competitive personalities like Jordan and Bryant could absolutely kill a team atmosphere with displays of ruthlessness or selfishness.

[55:22] He stands up, points around the room and says, You motherfuckers don't belong in the same court with me.You're all shit. And he walked out of the locker room.

[56:07] 4 ideas from Kobe:

Search for your limits

Extreme personal practice

Resourcefullness—find a way.

Study the greats

[57:39] He was one of the rare few who simply cared far more about the game than anyone else.

[1:02:24] The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant

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“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth

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Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here.

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Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast