After Kobe Bryant retired from the NBA, he made it a point to pass on his knowledge to the up and coming players in the game today.
In an interview last March, Kobe recalled the time Kyrie Irving called him via FaceTime, as he was sitting on the couch with his daughter Gianna, after the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit and won the 2016 NBA Finals in Game 7 against the Warriors.
“Kyrie’s in the locker room celebrating on Facetime like, ‘Dude, it worked! Your advice worked!,’” Kobe recalled. “I was really, really proud of him. So I’d say Kyrie is the one I’m closest to.”
Tragedy struck this year when Kobe, Gianna, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Most recently, Kyrie chose to honor his mentor by including the Kobe and Gianna in they lyrics of his new song.
"I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. I'm painting lifes canvas, I'm moving like an artist. Similar to my to my progress, I'm on a team full of martyrs. Paradise is Mamba, throwing peace to Gianna," he raps.
Photo: Getty Images