A Big Ten matchup is around the corner. MAMBA MENTALITY. Ryan Day reminded me of Kobe Bryant on Tuesday. In the 2009 NBA Finals, Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 2-0 lead over Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. The Black Mamba scored 40 points with eight rebounds and eight assists (yes, the old video game controller memes, Kobe passed the ball… sometimes) in Game 1. He scored 29 points with four rebounds and eight assists in Game 2.