Article by Zhang Xinyue of Create Abundance
There are certain names that every basketball fan thinks of when they imagine the greatest basketball players of all time. Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James are almost always at the top of that list. These three players aren’t just renowned for their skill on the basketball court, but they are also known for their extraordinary mental toughness. And part of that mental toughness was shaped by mindfulness, meditation, and cultivating a mindset of creating abundance.
All three of these players are known for being practitioners of mindfulness meditation. Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan learned the benefits of meditation from their coach, Phil Jackson, who was nicknamed the “Zen Master.” They also worked with the same meditation teacher to increase the effectiveness of their mindfulness practice outside of practice. Kobe was also famed for his use of positive visualization and a create abundance mindset he called the “Mamba Mentality.”
In addition to his eidetic memory and prodigious basketball I.Q., LeBron James has meditation and mindfulness in his arsenal of tools for victory. LeBron sets aside time in his daily routine for meditation and has also used it as a tool for remaining calm and focused on the present during games. He has even partnered with Calm, a meditation app, providing content and routines for aspiring mindfulness practitioners.
These legends understood the importance of being mentally strong while competing at the highest level of competition. And they chose meditation as a means of cultivating a relaxed, peaceful mindset. This mental fortitude allowed them to rise to the top of the league during each of their respective careers.
Zhang Xinyue is the author of the book Create Abundance. The book is a collection of Teacher Zhang Xinyue’s words of wisdom concerning body-mind-spirit cultivation. Originally published in 2012, it has remained a best seller. It has been translated to numerous languages.