How Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant helped Myles Garrett develop ‘killer instinct’ on the field

Myles Garrett has spent his career terrorizing NFL quarterbacks, but the mindset behind that dominance was shaped partly by an athlete who made his name on a basketball court in Los Angeles.

Now preparing for his first season with the Los Angeles Rams , Garrett has revealed how Lakers legend Kobe Bryant became one of the sporting figures he studied while developing the mentality that helped turn him into one of football’s most feared defenders.

Appearing on “Boardroom Talks,” Garrett grouped Bryant alongside NFL icon Lawrence Taylor and NBA great Michael Jordan as athletes whose competitive instincts separated them from everyone around them.

“You get to see the duality of it,” Garrett said. “You have [Lawrence Taylor], you have Kobe, you have [Michael Jordan], who have a killer instinct. It exudes from them. They want to kill you, want to take you out the game.”

Bryant built his reputation around that relentless competitive approach during 20 seasons with the Lakers. His “Mamba Mentality” became shorthand for obsessive preparation, resilience and an unwillingness to accept anything below his own standards.

Garrett believes that same combination of aggression and freedom can be transferred to football.

Kobe Bryant mentality left mark on Garrett

“Just playing the game as freely as you can, trying to combine the two,” Garrett said. “That’s how I feel like I walk on the field. I walk on the field and I plan to destroy the game, but I plan to have fun doing it the whole time.”

Bryant ’s career provided countless examples of that mentality. He won five NBA championships, became an 18-time All-Star and twice led the league in scoring.

One of his most memorable displays of toughness came in 2013, when he remained on the court long enough to make two free throws after suffering a torn Achilles.

Three years later, Bryant closed his career by scoring 60 points against the Utah Jazz in his final game at Staples Center.

Garrett also pointed to Muhammad Ali as another major influence, particularly because of the heavyweight champion’s ability to defeat opponents psychologically as well as physically.

“Once you start playing those mental games and doing that mental gymnastics, you’re already defeated,” Garrett said. “Then he’s got you right where he wants you.”

Those influences help explain the mentality Garrett is now bringing to Los Angeles.

Rams hope Garrett’s mentality leads to Super Bowl

The Rams acquired Garrett from the Cleveland Browns during the offseason after another remarkable individual campaign in which he recorded 23 sacks, surpassing Michael Strahan ’s long-standing single-season record.

His introduction to Los Angeles has been deliberately cautious, however, with knee soreness limiting his participation throughout training camp.

“I feel good,” Garrett said earlier in August. “I'm allowed to get sore. I'm a little old.”

Head coach Sean McVay has insisted the Rams are prioritizing Garrett ’s availability for the regular season rather than pushing him through meaningless preseason work.

“We are, yeah,” McVay said when asked whether Los Angeles was being cautious. “The goal is, what can we do to be able to get him ready to roll for Australia? That's kind of where you see that approach.”

Garrett has already conquered most individual challenges available to an NFL pass rusher. The next one is considerably bigger.

Los Angeles brought him in to help chase a Super Bowl, and Garrett appears ready to attack that objective with a mentality borrowed from one of the city’s greatest sporting icons.