Naomi Osaka & Nick Kyrgios on impact of Kobe Bryant's demise: "Wonder if he’s disappointed in me", "Never listened to music again before I walked out"

Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios recently shared how Kobe Bryant's demise affected them.

Bryant passed away in an unfortunate helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna was also on board and lost her life. Kyrgios was in contention at the Australian Open when he learned about Bryant's passing away and Naomi Osaka had bowed out of the women's singles draw with a loss to Coco Gauff in the third round a couple of days before.

Osaka and Kyrgios recently sat down to chat for an episode of the Good Trouble With Nick Kyrgios podcast and reflected on their connections with Kobe Bryant.

Kyrgios revealed that he did away with the practice of listening to music while walking out on the court from 26 January, 2020, onwards.

"Usually at the point of my career, I was walking out with headphones, and that day, I had my headphones on but I didn't play any music. So I was walking through the tunnel with Rafa behind me, I walked out and I had the Kobe jersey on and it was all bluff, my headphones were a bluff, I listened to the crowd going nuts," the Aussie said (at 11:16).

"That’s one thing that I remember about that day is that I never listened to music again before I walked out because I loved how much Kobe, obviously, had left behind but the crowd was so loud when I walked out and I always wanted to remember hearing how much athletes like us… we are appreciated when we walk out in the stadium," Kyrgios added.

Naomi Osaka shared a more intimate bond with Bryant as the late NBA legend mentored her through the initial days of fame. They first met at Bryant's Orange County quarters in June 2019. The Japanese star recalled receiving a pep talk from Bryant as she said:

"I remember when I first met him when we sat and had three hours of conversation. One of the things I always remember him telling me is that people around you are noise like if there's news in the media or whatever like you’re the lion and all of that is flies buzzing around the lion’s eyes and you only have to focus on your prey."

Osaka, who once surrendered to the pressure that the media attention brought, regretted not being able to live up to Kobe Bryant's expectations.

"I was like really inspired by that because sometimes when I sit and think about my career, I feel a little sad because like I wonder if he [Kobe Bryant] is disappointed in me and how I handle things," Naomi Osaka added.

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"Wanted to play in Kobe Bryant's jersey but the Australian Open didn’t let me do it" - Nick Kyrgios tells Naomi Osaka

Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka (R)

In the same episode of the Good Trouble With Nick Kyrgios podcast, Nick Kyrgios told Naomi Osaka about wanting to compete wearing Kobe Bryant's LA Lakers (#8) jersey for the remainder of the Australian Open 2020 but was denied by the authorities.

He, however, entered the court to play his fourth-round match against Rafael Nadal wearing Bryant's jersey and warmed up in it as well.

"The day that Kobe passed, I was playing Rafa, fourth round of the Australian Open and I still remember that day, it was horrible and I was like I need a Kobe Bryant jersey to walk out in front of the crowd. I actually wanted to play in it but the tournament didn’t let me do it," Kyrgios told Naomi Osaka.

Kyrgios battled with Nadal for four intense sets but eventually ended up losing 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(4).