Kobe Bryant and Tupac Shakur Had a Legendary Encounter While He Was a Lakers Rookie

Kobe Bryant is a name synonymous with the city of Los Angeles. The man spent 20 seasons playing professional basketball in the city and is a legend of the game.

Winning five NBA Championships, an MVP, and two Finals MVPs, while making several All-NBA and All-Star teams, a true West Coast icon.

However, as a young star entering the league, a 17-year-old Black Mamba took his time getting used to the spotlight in LA. One of the first people he met at that young age, was a man who had already done it all, rapper Tupac Shakur.

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Kobe Bryant once met Tupac Shakur as a 17-year-old rookie in LA

Being a teenager in LA isn’t easy, especially if you’re a young star like Kobe Bryant was back in 1996. At the time, Bryant wasn’t a well-known figure and hadn’t even made name for himself in the league.

So, when the Black Mamba met Tupac Shakur at a club. The rapper’s friend, Delray Richardson didn’t think much of it. After all, Kobe was yet to become a household name.

“They met. It wasn’t something deep or anything like that. More so, Kobe went to 2Pac because he probably didn’t know who Kobe was at the time. I remember he introduced himself and said, what’s up.”

Richardson described the meeting as not being deep. Kobe just said “what’s up?” and that was it. But, 26 years later, both men are now fondly remembered as legends in their respective crafts.

Kobe once ventured into the world of rap but was unsuccessful

Like most basketball players at the time, Kobe Bryant too was interested in hip-hop. The young Black Mamba even released a single, titled K.O.B.E., which was a part of his unreleased album Visions. Unfortunately, the song was not too well received, making Bryant’s venture into the rap world an unsuccessful one.

Kobe Bryant’s long-lost rap album leaked online https://t.co/ccJvQVeqJz pic.twitter.com/T4cdXPSDyf

— New York Post (@nypost) May 14, 2021

At the end of the day, Kobe will always be fondly remembered as one of the greatest of all time. Just not in the rap game.

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