'Job's Not Finished': How C.J. Stroud Channels Late Kobe Bryant's 'Mamba Mentality'

When the Houston Texans defeated the Tennessee Titans on New Year's Eve, a shirt featuring Kobe Bryant helped C.J. Stroud channel his inner Mamba Mentality.

HOUSTON — When C.J. Stroud woke up the morning of New Year's Eve, he looked in his closet to begin preparing for the Houston Texans' Week 17 contest against the Tennessee Titans. The shirt he decided on featured the late great Kobe Bryant on the night the Charlotte Hornets drafted him with the No. 13 pick of the 1996 NBA Draft. 

As a California native, Stroud grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers — the franchise Bryant became a basketball icon with during his 20-year NBA career. As a result, Bryant became Stroud's all-time favorite player.

However, wearing a shirt that featured the Hall of Famer and five-time champion also helped Stroud's mindset entering a game that had playoff implications. Stroud embodied Bryant's "Mamba Mentality," which led to another impressive performance by the rookie quarterback. 

Houston Texans' quarterback C.J. Stroud wearing a shirt that features basketball legend Kobe Bryant / Jonathan Alexander, Houston Chronicle

He finished the game completing 24 of his pass attempts for 213 yards and a touchdown, leading the Texans to a 26-3 victory over the Titans at NRG Stadium.

“Kobe is my favorite player of all time in basketball," Stroud said. "I remember watching Kobe's interview, in The Finals, and he goes, ‘'Job’s not finished.’ This has been a complete turnaround from last year, but in my opinion, the job is not finished. We have a lot left in the tank, and we need to empty that. I feel like the shirt kind of spoke to me. It wasn't really anything, but I got a nugget out of it."

Stroud's performance against the Titans wasn't the only time he channeled his inner Mamba Mentality. Perhaps, he sustained the mindset throughout his entire rookie season.

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The Texans won 10 regular season games during his first year starting under center and led the franchise to the Divisional Round of the 2023 postseason.

Stroud finished the season with the third-most passing yards for a first-year quarterback with 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 63.9 percent of his passes.  

Stroud's rookie season proved that he is on a trajectory that could result in him being an icon in his respective sport and city, similar to the way Bryant engraved his legacy to last eternally.