Landon Buford
In A Fools Tale (Running Back), of which sample’s Ashanti’s hit record foolish featuring the Glen Cove, New York native, Tory Lanez referenced the late great Kobe Bryant. The single is featured on Chixtape 5, released in September of 2019.
The line goes like this, “Draft you to the team like Kobe in ’96, blue and orange drops. Like you went and signed to the Knicks,” said Lanez.
August 23 is Bryant; he would have been 44 today if he was still with us. On Tuesday, tennis star Naomi Osaka tweeted that she missed Kobe.
In an interview with WSJ, Osaka disclosed that Bryant used to send him messages after difficult losses and encourage her to continue working hard.
“There would be some really tough losses,” Osaka told WSJ. “I didn’t even know he was paying attention, but he would text me positive things and tell me to learn from it. For me, it was definitely helpful.”
The Hall of Famer was killed in a helicopter crash in South California on January 26, 2020. Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people died when the aircraft collided with a hill in Calabasas, California.
During a post-game interview last season, Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant said there would never be another Bean.
“There’s Only One Kobe [Bryant].”
Meanwhile, former NBA veteran Jamal Crawford, said on Twitter, “Legacy will live forever. We love you Kob!”
Bryant’s wife Vanessa also wished him a happy birthday as well.
“Happy birthday, baby! I love you and miss you so much! #44 ❤️,” Vanessa wrote as a caption accompanying the smiling photo of the pair. In the snap, Kobe is seen wearing a baseball hat and a 2009 NBA Championships T-shirt, which his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won. Via Instagram.
