Tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios paid homage to the late, great Kobe Bryant by bringing the Mamba Mentality to New York City. During the US Open Mixed Madness event ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam, the duo took to the court for their exhibition match against Amanda Anisimova and Taylor Fritz sporting Bryant’s Lakers jerseys.
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The five-time NBA champion was a mentor to Osaka, and she’s spoken in the past of carrying the legacy of Mamba Mentality and inspiring future generations like the Lakers icon did. Vanessa Bryant shared images and videos of Osaka and Kyrgios on her Instagram stories to celebrate the two tennis stars honoring her late husband.
During an illustrious NBA career, Kobe wore two numbers for the Lakers. Both of his numbers were retired and hung in the rafters at the Crypto.com Arena after his retirement. Osaka and Kyrgios wore custom jerseys with #8 printed on the front and #24 on the back. They entered the court to a rapturous reception.
Vanessa shared several posts from the US Open’s official page on her Instagram story. She also added a heart GIF to show her support. This isn’t the first time that Osaka has honored her idol.
Vanessa Bryant celebrate Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka celebrating her husband pic.twitter.com/bhn0uB5YnS
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) August 21, 2024
Bryant became an important part of her life after her win over Serena Williams in the US Open final in 2018. During a conversation with Vanity Fair in 2021, Osaka talked about a lion analogy that he gave her to make her understand her standing in the world. She said,
“I remember he told me, ‘Imagine that you’re a lion and you’re hunting your prey. So, you see a deer off in the distance. And if you watch Animal Planet, you always see the lions looking at their prey, and they have gnats around their eyes.'”
She added that he advised her to look at the media and other distractions as gnats. He explained that a lion wouldn’t try to swat away gnats as its target was the deer in the distance. The Lakers legend helped Osaka when she endured a rough patch and she has always been grateful to have him as her mentor.
Bryant’s untimely death left a void in her life. However, it armed her with the responsibility of carrying his legacy forward. Her latest tribute to the Lakers icon was her way of showing her appreciation for all he did for her. And Vanessa approved of it on her Instagram profile.
