Almost a decade ago, stars, from all over the planet, descended upon Staples Center on April 13, 2016. It was Kobe Bryant‘s last game. After spanning his career for over two decades, Kobe decided to hang it up, and almost everyone was present on the momentous occasions. Fans held their breath when banners with Kobe’s name dropped from the ceiling, and they chanted his name. Fulfilling his promise to Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe dropped a 60-point bomb. It was a classic, a game for the ages.
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Several dignitaries and celebrities were among the audience, including the Grammy-winning artist Kanye West. The duo shared a good friendship after they were seen in a Nike commercial. Being in attendance for the Black Mamba’s last game, Ye posted a picture of his ticket stub, captioning his tweet,
“At the God’s last game”.
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After Kobe’s final game, Bryant and Kanye embraced each other in the Lakers locker room. While other celebrities like Jay-Z, David Beckham, Snoop Dogg, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jack Nicholson were present at the event, no one seemed to have gotten the moment with Kobe as West did. No one knows how deep that friendship ran, but we are all just grateful that Kayne didn’t pull a ‘2009 VMA’s’ trick on Bryant during his farewell speech.
Referring to Kobe as a “God” might seem like hyperbole, but it’s nothing new. ‘Yezus’ has called himself by that moniker for some time now, a by-product of Kayne’s boisterous personality, a trait that makes him stand out, a quality even Bryant possessed. Ye even claimed that the both had some similarities.
Kanye West sees similarities between Kobe and himself
Kobe Bryant tragically passed away in 2020 while he was headed to a basketball tournament. The helicopter accident took the lives of nine others, onboard, including Bryant’s daughter, “Gigi” Bryant. As the news broke through the day, many players and celebrities took to their social media accounts to mourn the passing. Among the ones greatly struck by Bryant’s death was hip-hop icon Kanye West.
In a 2020 interview with the GQ, West revealed how driving through the Las Virgenes Road in California always reminded him of Bryant. A scenic route the rap artist often took while working on his then-upcoming album, ‘Donda’. During the same interview, Kayne also compared himself to the No. 24, calling himself the music version of the 5-time NBA champion.
“He was the basketball version of me, and I was the rap version of him, and that’s facts! “ Kanye told GQ.
West and Kobe both stand atop their respective fields as undisputed greats. Similar to Bryant, West has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning almost two decades, and his list of accomplishments includes 21 Grammy Awards and 10 multi-platinum albums. But even after two decades at the top, West is not finished; he still has more to give. Ye is Kobesque indeed.
