Former NBA forward Antawn Jamison spent most of his career on the opposite end of the floor from Kobe Bryant , battling the Los Angeles Lakers great in stints with the Golden State Warriors , Washington Wizards , Dallas Mavericks , and Cleveland Cavaliers .
However, the 6'9″ forward got a unique perspective of how Kobe worked when he teamed up with him on the Lakers during the 2012-13 season. Antawn played just a season with the Lakers legend, but took away a lot from the experience, including how great a teammate he was – a far cry from what many on the outside thought of him.
Jamison was already 36 when he signed with the Lakers while Kobe was playing in his 16th season. By then, Kobe had already gained a reputation for being aloof and demanding, especially toward people who wore the same uniform as he did. However, Jamison didn't have any trouble dealing with Kobe's personality, since they shared the same goal.
"If you love the game of basketball, Kobe was the ultimate teammate. If you was one of those players who, like, I don't know about work, he'll get on you," Jamison remembered. "This dude, I remember the first day I got to L.A., and you know me, I'm always – I'm a vet. I'm the first one in the gym, the locker room. Practice around like 10:30, 11:00. I'm there like 8:30."
And when I come in, Kobe is coming out. He's just drenched I'm like, 'This guy in the cold tub? What the—' Like, no. He been working out since 5:00 in the morning. This the first day before. And back then, we did two-a-days," he continued.
Being a vet at that time, Jamison had already heard the whispers of Bryant's relentless work ethic. But to see it firsthand was a sight to behold. To Jamison, Bryant had accomplished everything he had set out to do since entering the NBA at 18. Yet, here he was, still practicing and preparing for the season like he was a young player who wanted to earn the last roster spot.
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The Mamba Mentality is mentioned so often that it has become part of hoops' dictionary. But Jamison asserts that nobody has a firm grasp of what that approach was like until they saw Kobe work day in and day out.
"Kobe would go out there. That's the year he tore the Achilles. And he didn't even want to come out that game. I mean, we used him as a point guard. Like, he was the ultimate teammate, dog. And he hated to lose. Like, the first one in the gym, the last one to leave," Antawn stated.
"And that was, what, year 14 or 15 for him" ?
That season, Kobe gave it everything he had, averaging 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 38.6 minutes per game. Eager to will the Lakers into the postseason, he played 43.0 minutes per night in his last 11 games that season before his Achilles tendon gave out during a game against the Golden State Warriors.
"That personality right there, when you hear the Mamba Mentality, that's what I'm saying. I'm talking to my sons. They're like, 'Yeah, we got that Mamba Mentality,'" Jamison relayed. "I'm just sitting there laughing like, 'You have no idea.'"
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
