Known for his Mamba Mentality on the court, Kobe Bryant is said to be one of the most endearing people off the court. However, he never stopped learning and was ready to seek out any advantage he could have over his competitors. Recently, Nancy Lieberman revealed a similar conversation with Kobe Bryant, and how eager he was to learn, despite being at the top of his game.

Speaking about Kobe Bryant’s memory, Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman said that the conversation left a lasting mark on her. It was during the 2008 WNBA season when she became the oldest WNBA player. At the age of 50 years, she signed a contract with Detroit Shock and eventually retired, playing only 9 minutes. A few months later, Kobe Bryant approached her and wanted to learn more about her gameplay.

“He takes me in a side room. We sit down and he goes ‘Natalia, Vanessa, and I watched you play Saturday’. I go, oh, that’s really cool. He goes, ‘how did you feel how, did you train, what did your body feel like? What were you eating? Did you drink water? What were you taking electrolytes, um why did you do it?,” Lieberman said, via Come and Talk 2 Me. Kobe was desperate for answers, as he wanted to learn more. Hearing this plethora of questions from Kobe, Lieberman felt she was in a think-tank with him.

Once the questions were done, the New York native felt extraordinary because even though Kobe had won the NBA Championship and NBA MVP, he was ready to take in more information. “And it just, it took my respect to another level for him. Because he didn’t care who was giving him information to be better.”

With her charities, she has kept the Kobe Bryant legacy alive with the help of Vanessa Bryant. The Tustin Playground, where Kobe grew up in Philadelphia, honors the legendary Lakers player with a beautiful memorial.

Kobe Bryant coined a nickname for Nancy Lieberman

Growing up in a household with no support, her mother even called her playing sport ‘unladylike’. But her commitment did not stop and later, in 1981, Lieberman got the opportunity to play for the Lakers summer league team. Bryant remembered her playing for the Lakers and knew about her struggles.

He called her ‘Mama Mamba’. Not thrilled by the name at first, Lieberman asked for the reasoning behind it. “Why am I the mama mamba? Is it because I’m old?” Kobe replied, “You’re mean as a snake. You’re just a mama.” Later, he called her “a dog” but she had her reply ready. She said, “I’m not a dog, I’m a wolf because wolf eat dogs.”

Ever since that first conversation in 2008, both became close. Kobe even offered Lieberman to teach to Gigi Bryant and her team. She was ready for the task and even spoke to Bryant before he, unfortunately, passed away.

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