In 2018, ten years after “The Redeem Team” featuring Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Jason Kidd and more took back the gold medal for the United States at the 2008 Olympics, Bryant reflected on the experience in his book, “Mamba Mentality.” In that passage, Bryant recalled how he tried to lead and influence James, the star who (while he didn’t know it during the Olympics) would ultimately be his successor on the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I always aimed to kill the opposition. The main thing LeBron and I discussed was what constitutes a killer mentality. He watched how I approached every single practice, and I constantly challenged him and the rest of the guys,” Bryant wrote then.