Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr credits Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality to help him bounce back from bad games

It has been refreshing to see Michael Porter Jr. back in action. The youngster had only featured in nine games last season as he was struggling with back issues. He missed a large chunk of the season suffering from back injury and could not help the Denver Nuggets to break their limits.

However he underwent surgery and is healthy this year and that is a very welcome sight for any basketball fan. He has featured in 12 of the 13 games played by the Nuggets and in their recent 131-112 defeat against the Boston Celtics, Michael Porter Jr. had an off day as he scored seven points and was only 3-10 shooting despite playing 25 minutes.

But the Nuggets fanbase saw Michael Porter Jr. bounce back when he logged a 31 points team high performance in a 12-6-103 Nuggets win against the Chicago Bulls. He played for 24 minutes and had shot 6 of 9 from beyond the arc.

AFter the game he shared how he carried that disappointment of the last defeat as a motivation for this game and remembered Kpobe Bryant and his Mamba mentality which gave them the boost to push forward and make a mark.

“Some stuff was going on off the court that I carried on the court last game,” Porter said. “Like Kobe, he created the Mamba so he could leave it all away when he’s on the court.”

Kobe was known for his ability to channelise everything into his play and his relentless ability to focus and be mentally locked in is something known as Mamba Mentality. It is something developed by him and it has inspired various people from different walks of life.

The Denver Nuggets are 9-4 currently and are second in the Western Conference only behind the Portland Trail Blazers who also have a 9-4 record

The Nuggets can really be a team to be reckoned with as they were in the Western Conference FInals two years ago during Porter’s rookie season in the bubble. However in the last two years they have been beaten in the second round and the first round respectively. They were beaten 4-1 by the Golden State Warriors last season.

But now with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back in action to support the reigning regular season MVP, Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets have renewed zeal and courage to fight against the best teams as they aim to push the levels at the franchise.