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Jimmy Fallon honored the late Kobe Bryant by telling a neat anecdote of the first time they met at a party. Fallon was only 21 at the time and just getting started on the comedy scene when he met the 17-year-old Los Angeles Lakers rookie, soon hitting it off and going for a beer run.
The two wound up at Pink Top, a place that delivered beer but wasn't open at the time. Fallon proceeded to knock on their door to see if they could get a few cases of beer, but to no avail. The place delivered beer but did not sell standalone cases to people walking up.
However, all it took was for Bryant to flash his ID and say he was a Lakers player for them to give in, helping Fallon save the party:
I will remember you 24/8. pic.twitter.com/9IdJTbFPN2
— Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon) January 28, 2020
The now-host of “The Tonight Show” had seen Bryant grow from a 17-year-old kid to a 41-year-old father of four and was saddened to see him go at such an early age:
“When we'd run into each other over the years we'd laugh about that night that we first met,” said an emotional Fallon. “We'd laugh at all the good things that had happened since. We'd laugh about how fun it was to raise kids and all the stupid mistakes we've made trying to figure out how to be good dads.
“And Kobe had four daughters and I had two daughters and today he and one of his girls are gone … Let's honor Kobe and Gianna and the other lives that were lost yesterday by following his example: Love your family, love your teammates, and outwork everyone else in the gym.”
The Lakers legend had been a constant guest on Fallon's shows through the years (Kobe had told this beer run story on the show before), as he had known him for most of his adult life. The bond still remains, going from a late-night beer run to eternity.
