Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant certainly left his mark on the next generation of basketball players. He was definitely an inspiration behind the rise of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo into superstardom, and the two-time MVP made sure to pay his utmost respect for the legendary Black Mamba.

Before the Bucks' preseason tilt against the Atlanta Hawks in Abu Dhabi, the Greek Freak arrived in the Etihad Arena donning a shirt that showed his love for the iconic shooting guard. A heartfelt message, “In loving memory of Kobe Bryant, 1978-2020”, was written on Antetokounmpo's shirt, which was then placed alongside images of some of Bryant's most memorable moments in the NBA.

Per the Bucks' official Twitter account:

If there's anyone who embodies the famous Mamba Mentality in today's NBA, it's Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has come a long way from the raw 19-year old who played in the third division of the Greek basketball pyramid. Drafted 15th overall in 2013, Antetokounmpo improved rapidly, bumping up his averages from season to season, before cementing himself as one of the best players in the NBA with his first MVP award in 2019.

Antetokounmpo also famously made good on the Mamba challenge Kobe Bryant had for him five years ago. The then-22 year old, coming off a first-round exit to the Toronto Raptors, asked Bryant for a lofty yet achievable goal to set his eyes on. And Bryant, armed with foresight, only had one challenge for The Greek Freak: for him to win the MVP award.

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Antetokounmpo also credits his love for the game of basketball to Bryant. The 6'11 forward/center watched Kobe growing up, and it reflects well on just how hard he works on his game. In fact, before his first MVP season, Antetokounmpo worked hard with Bryant to hone his game, and he picked the brain of the six-time champion in a way only Antetokounmpo can.

“Giannis came to work out with me this summer and he showed up one-and-a-half hours early. We talked for 20 minutes before we worked out and he whips out a notepad. What the … he starts taking down notes. ‘What about the footwork here? What about the coverage here?’” Bryant told The Athletic back in March 2019.

Thus, Giannis Antetokounmpo was someone who took Kobe Bryant's tragic death to heart. And the Black Mamba will forever live in spirit in Antetokounmpo as one of the most ferocious competitors in the NBA these days.