Bucks Zone

An old Kobe Bryant video backs Giannis Antetokounmpo’s “There is no failure in sports” stand

It was a case of Giannis Antetokounmpo displaying the “Mamba Mentality.”
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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A lot was said when Giannis Antetokounmpo insisted that the Milwaukee Bucks' campaign this season was not a failure, even after they got ousted in the very first round of the playoffs.

It can be recalled that Giannis had an animated exchange with a reporter when he asked if he viewed the Bucks' season as a failure after they got eliminated by the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in just five games.

"There is no failure in sports. It's a step to success. You asked the wrong question," a visibly irked Antetokounmpo told the reporter moments after their Game 5 loss to the Miami Heat.

"You know, there's good days, bad days. Some days you are able to be successful. Some days you are not. Some days it's your turn; some days, it's not your turn. And that's what sports is about. You don't always win," Giannis added.

There have been varying reactions to what Giannis' said

Some say anything less than a championship is a failure, while others believe debacles are just part of the journey to success.

After that intriguing response by Giannis, an old video of the late Kobe Bryant surfaced on social media.

In the video, Kobe talked about failure, and his stand proved Giannis' point of view made a lot of sense.

"Seriously, what does failure mean? It doesn't exist. It's a figment of your imagination," Bryant said.

Bryant, who was known to be one of the most, if not the most, hard-working players, pointed out a situation can only be called a failure if nothing will be done to correct it.

"The point is, the story continues. So if you fail on Monday, the only way it's a failure on Monday is if you decide to not progress from that. "Cause you know, if I fail today, I'm gonna learn something from that failure, and I'm gonna try again Tuesday; I'm gonna try again on Wednesday.The worst possible thing you could ever have is to stop and to not learn," Kobe said.

It's no secret that Giannis had the opportunity to work out with Bryant. That's why it's not surprising that even after the Bucks endured the shocking debacle at the hand of the Heat, the Greek Freak still kept a positive mindset. Giannis certainly has embraced the so-called "Mamba Mentality."


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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.