Kobe Bryant did not just leave an impact on the world of basketball. The Los Angeles Lakers legend loved competition so much that he ended up dabbling in different types of mentorship across various sports. One of his great mentees has to be Naomi Osaka. After her US Open first-round win over Jelena Ostapenko, she wore the Black Mamba's jersey for her post-match interview.
Mamba Mentality was taught everywhere and a lot of athletes still carry the same mindset every day. Naomi Osaka is a living testament to this. After struggling with her mental health after Kobe Bryant passed away, she still kept going. Now, she is set to advance to the second round of the US Open after vanquishing Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets.
When asked as to why she continues to represent the Lakers legend, Osaka had a very simple answer.
“I think for me, I always wear Kobe jerseys after matches and practices because I feel a little bit like I can kind of keep his spirit with me,” she said, via Jake Nisse of Mail Sport.
Osaka may have actually just felt the spirit of Bryant in her first-round matchup. She had nine aces to go along an insane 80% first serve win percentage and 75% second serve win percentage. To top it all off, she also went a perfect 3/3 on her break points. Truly, the Lakers legend was with her in this US Open match.
Naomi Osaka and Kobe Bryant's relationship before the 2024 US Open
Osaka has always held on to the memory of Bryant even after nearly four years of his passing. They both had great memories on the tennis surfaces and on the court. However, one teaching from the Lakers legend will always stand out for her.
“One of the things I always remember him telling me is, like the people around you are noise if that makes sense. Like if there’s news and media and whatever, like you’re a lion, and all of that is like the flies buzzing around the lion’s eyes and you only have to focus on your prey. Sometimes, like when I sit and I think about my career, I feel a little sad because I’m like, I wonder if, like, he’s kind of disappointed in me and how I handle things,” she declared.
Karolina Muchova is Osaka's next opponent in the US Open. Will she be able to make her mentor proud?
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