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Very few people knew the relationship between tennis legend Novak Djokovic and the late Kobe Bryant.
Djokovic and the Lakers' legend were close friends for more than a decade and Bryant's death in January of 2020 shocked Djokovic.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner paid tribute to his good friend after a straight sets quarter-finals win in the 2020 edition of the Australian Open.
On January 28, two days after Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna tragically passed away in a helicopter crash, Djokovic said:
"I don't know what we could say. It really caught us by surprise, he was one of the greatest athletes of all-time, he inspired myself and many other people around the world. I had that fortune to have a personal relationship with him over the last 10 years and when I needed some advice and some support, he was there for me."
An emotional Djokovic continued:
"He was my mentor, he was my friend and it is heartbreaking to see and to hear what has happened to him and his daughter."
Since the death of Kobe Bryant, several sports stars have talked about their relationship with the basketball great and how he inspired them over the years. Djokovic is no exception as he reminded the world of his relationship with Kobe Bryant once again last Sunday.
Novak Djokovic honors the late Kobe Bryant after winning 24th Grand Slam title
Novak Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2023 US Open, the last Grand Slam of the calendar year.
This was the 24th Grand Slam title for Novak Djokovic, who will return to the No.1 in the world after his triumph. After his victory, he honored the late Kobe Bryant by wearing a "Mamba Forever" T-Shirt.
Djokovic said:
"I thought, 24 is the jersey he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and world basketball. So I thought it could be a nice, symbolic thing to acknowledge him. I thought of doing this T-shirt eventually if I got the chance to win the tournament."
He continued:
"Kobe was a close, close friend. We chatted a lot about the winner's mentality when I was struggling with an injury and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game."
Djokovic added:
"He was always there for any kind of counsel advice, any kind of support in the most friendly way. So, of course, what happened a few years ago, him and his daughter passing, hurt me deeply. So I thought it could be a nice symbolic thing to to acknowledge him."
Kobe Bryant, an NBA and Lakers legend, wore No.8 and No.24 during his career. He spent his entire career (1996-2016) with the 17-time champions, winning the title five times (2000-2002, 2009-2010).
He was also a two-time NBA Finals MVP (2009, 2010) and an NBA MVP in 2008, while he became an All-Star 18 times.
To honor him, the NBA named the All-Star MVP award after him, while he became the cover athlete in the NBA 2K24, which was released on Friday.
