O’Shea Jackson Jr. reflects on his memories with the late Kobe Bryant on The Ellen Show. The Hollywood star considered the Black Mamba his hero.
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The tragic death of Kobe Bryant still sends shivers up the spine. The Lakers legend was an inspiration for millions across the globe, especially when it came to his work ethic and competitive drive. The Mamba mentality is embodied by people from various walks of life, not just limited to basketball.
There are umpteen stories of Kobe’s excessive competitive zeal to succeed. The five-time champion was never content with himself even after retiring from the NBA. The city of LA will always have a special place for one of its most loved sports personalities.
Recently, Hollywood actor and rapper O’Shea Jackson Jr. narrated a hilarious story revealing his first phone call with Kobe. Jackson Jr. considered the Lakers MVP his hero. The 30-year old spoke about dealing with the loss of the eighteen-time All-Star.
Jackson Jr. reveals his telephonic conversation with Kobe and how the latter felt he had not done enough, despite having a decorated basketball career and winning an Oscar.
O’Shea Jackson Jr. gives an insight into his conversation with Kobe Bryant.
Jackson Jr. grew up in LA, thus being a fan of the Lakers does not come as a surprise. Jackson Jr.’s love for the Lakers comes from his father, Ice Cube. The hip-hop veteran has followed the purple and gold team since its Showtime days.
While Cube is a huge fan of Magic Johnson, his son Jackson Jr. considered Kobe his idol. Recently, Jackson Jr. spoke about the Black Mamba on The Ellen Show.
“If you know me, I’m a huge Kobe fan. That dude was my hero, said the Straight Outta Compton star.”
Jackson Jr. would further narrate a funny Kobe story.
“I was at the house, a little intoxicated. And yeah Kobe follows me on Twitter, so you know I was like you know what? I’m gonna DM Kobe. I’m drunk. I’m like yeah, I’m gonna DM Kobe. So I hit up Kobe, I’m like, listen, man, I just want to know, how do you keep going? How do you not be content?” said Jackson Jr.
OMG revealed he asked Kobe if he could give him some books, movies, or quotes. Surprisingly, the Mamba would share his number with Jackson Jr.
“I was coming back from a table read. I’m sitting in the Uber, the phone rang and it says GOAT. And he talked to me for twenty-five minutes. We talked about our parents, talked about work ethic not feeling content, not feeling like he’s done enough, even still. He had just won the Academy award, he still had that feeling. And it was something that I’ll always hold dear that the first phone call with my hero was also the last.”
Jackson Jr.’s recent Apple Tv+ series, Swagger in which he plays a coach is dedicated to Kobe Bryant.
