Even though he never played tennis, Los Angeles Lakers and NBA legend Kobe Bryant will forever be a part of US Open history from now on.
Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic paid a heartfelt tribute to the legendary shooting guard after winning his 24th major title.
The Serbian shook hands with his rival, Daniil Medvedev, and put on a shirt that read ‘Mamba Forever’ with a picture of him alongside the late Bryant.
Novak Djokovic paid tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant after securing his 24th major title.
Novak shares the idea behind his tribute to Kobe ? pic.twitter.com/aFd7xStqVx
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 11, 2023
When asked about the tribute, Djokovic admitted that he had the idea a week ago, but he didn’t share it with anyone other than the people who made him the shirt.
He admitted that he was close friends with Kobe, stating that they often talked about a winning mentality.
He also said that Kobe helped him when he was struggling with an injury and trying to make a comeback.
Notably, this isn’t the first time that Djokovic has praised the five-time NBA champion.
He’s always been vocal about the impact Kobe had on him as an athlete and as a person, thanking him for all the times he reached out with a piece of advice.
Djokovic added that he thought it would be nice to pay tribute to him after all he did for the sports community, and he couldn’t be more on point with that.
Kobe is one of the most influential figures in sports history, and even though he’s no longer with us, his legacy will live on forever.
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