Victorious over Daniil Medvedev in the final of the US Open yesterday, Novak Djokovic took advantage of this 24th Grand Slam success to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant.
More than three years after his death in a tragic helicopter accident, the memory of Kobe Bryant remains in everyone’s minds and not just in the world of basketball. Visiting Uncle Sam for the US Open, Novak Djokovic wanted to pay tribute to his former friend. After his victory in the final, he put on a t-shirt representing the Black Mamba and himself side by side with the inscription “Mamba Forever” and the number 24 on the back, all before pointing his fingers towards the sky.
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The Serbian star then explained his gesture during his victory interview. The opportunity to once again recall his respect and his attachment to the former Lakers player. A speech which was warmly applauded by the audience.
Novak shares the idea behind his tribute to Kobe 🗣 pic.twitter.com/aFd7xStqVx
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“I thought about making this t-shirt in the event that I was lucky enough to win the tournament. That was about seven days ago. I didn’t tell anyone about it until a few days ago when I asked my team to help me make this t-shirt.
“Kobe was a close friend, we talked a lot about the winning mentality when I was battling injuries and trying to make a comeback, get back to the top of the game.
“He was one of the people I relied on the most. He was always there to give me advice, opinions, support, and in a very friendly way.
“So, of course, what happened a few years ago with his death and that of his daughter hurt me deeply. I figured the 24 was the jersey he wore when he became a legend of the Lakers and world basketball, so I thought it would be a nice symbol to thank him for everything he did”.
2023-09-11 08:22:00
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