Vanessa Bryant Talks Honoring 'Mamba Mentality' in Kobe's New Novel

The legacy of Kobe Bryant continues to grow, as the late Los Angeles Lakers legend posthumously released a new book this week co-authored by Ivy Claire. 

Speaking to Claire in a conversation on Instagram (h/t TMZ Sports) about Epoca: The River of Sand, Vanessa Bryant noted that she had to remove a line from the book before publishing because it didn't fit the Mamba Mentality that her husband built his life and reputation on.

"I remember there was one line of this book that said, 'Friends come first, practice comes second'—and I remember telling you there is no way in hell Kobe would ever agree because he used to always tell the kids, 'Your friends will be there after practice,'" Vanessa said.

Kobe's mentality about working out and practicing became legendary even during his playing career. 

During an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast, Bryant said "practices are meant to be competitive" and "you're doing the wrong thing" if practice isn't more competitive than the games. 

The 41-year-old released a series of young adult novels as a co-writer and/or producer. Epoca: The River of Sand is the second book he co-authored that has been released since he was killed, along with eight other people, in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26. The Wizenard Series: Season One dropped on March 31.