“Kobe Bryant was my hero”: Hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg talks about how the Black Mamba inspired him while having a conversation with Stephen A. Smith

While appearing as a guest on the Jimmy Kimmel show, which had special guest host Stephen A. Smith, hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg spoke about his close bond with the late Kobe Bryant.

The latest episode of the Jimmy Kimmel show had NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith hosting it. The first guest for the special edition episode was hip-hop mogul Snoop Dogg.

Snoop’s affinity towards the LA Lakers is no secret. The hip-hop legend has always been a die-hard fan of the franchise. Snoop was born and raised in Long Beach, California.

During the episode, the American songwriter and artist didn’t hesitate to show Smith the championship ring the Lakers had won in 2020. Though only reserved for the players, Snoop’s close association with the head honcho Jeanie Buss gave him certain perks.

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Both Snoop and Kobe, though in different careers, had their rise to superstardom during the same time. The two legends in their respective field would reach the peak of their stardom during the late 90s.

Snoop Dogg gets candid about the special relationship he shared with the late Kobe Bryant

Snoop spoke about the Black Mamba in light of his recent 43rd birth anniversary, touching upon how he looked up to Kobe despite the latter being elder to him.

“It felt like we both arrived at the same time and it felt like our rise was together,” The Doggfather said. “When I would go to Lakers games and build a friendship with him knowing that I was a diehard fan. Then to see him built a family, I built a family and I’ve seen our careers go into a different light to where we became fathers and more positive role models outside of what we were doing.”

Snoop continued,

“That’s what made him my hero. You could be younger, less experienced than me, but if you do things that inspire me, you could be my hero.”

The rap legend was always looked up to the 5x NBA champion right from the way he carried and conducted himself to his humble nature.

Snoop even narrated an incident about how Kobe took pictures with people who take out the trash and clean the building, citing how he made everyone happy with his presence.

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