The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

The Afterword to The Mamba Mentality is written by Andrew S. Bernstein, the photographer whose images are featured exclusively throughout the book, and who, as the official photographer of the Los Angeles Lakers, knew Bryant from the very beginning of his career. Bernstein recalls that, even as a young teenager, Bryant showed the tenacious, inquisitive nature that the player describes as an enduring trait he recognized in himself. It was Bernstein who took Bryant’s rookie headshot when he was drafted to the Lakers as a 17-year-old. Bernstein describes Bryant in his early years as a “hot head,” but like Jackson shares in the Introduction, Bernstein remarks on the maturation that transformed Bryant as he focused his ambition, honed his skills, and developed into a mentor for his peers. Bernstein believes that The Mamba Mentality is the ideal extension of the influence that Bryant had over his fellow teammates while he was playing with the NBA, as the book makes his wisdom and insight even more available to a wider audience.

Bernstein’s address to the reader at the close of the book includes a reference to Bryant’s kindness and empathy, specifically as it was witnessed by Bernstein when the photographer accompanied Bryant at almost every game, both home and away, and as he met with children and their families for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.