Naomi Osaka opens up on trying to keep Kobe Bryant’s spirit alive at US Open

Tennis star Naomi Osaka shared a heartwarming reason for why she wears Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s jersey after matches and practices.

“I always wear Kobe jerseys after matches and practices,” Osaka said. “I feel like I can kind of keep his spirit with me.”

Bryant, a Hall of Famer and five-time NBA champion with the Lakers, tragically passed away in January of 2020 in a helicopter crash. An inspiration to many athletes, Bryant has been honored by the Lakers with statues outside of Crypto.com Arena.

Osaka won her first round matchup at the US Open on Tuesday, defeating Jeļena Ostapenko 6-3 and 6-2 to advance to the second round. She’ll face Karolína Muchová in the second round on Thursday.

Back in 2019, Bryant attended one of Osaka’s matches at the US Open, and he eventually became a mentor to her later on in her career.

“I played on the same court today,” Osaka said after Tuesday’s win. “Louis Armstrong (Stadium) was the same court he came and watched my match. I honestly remember being a little bit in disbelief he was coming specifically to watch my match. Just to feel that support was unreal.”

It’s clear that Osaka’s relationship with Bryant meant a lot to her, and it’s special to see her continuing to keep his legacy alive in her own career.

An 18-time All-Star during his NBA career, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc. He will forever be one of the most important figures in Lakers history, leading the franchise to three straight titles alongside Shaquille O’Neal before winning two more alongside Pau Gasol later in his career.

Osaka called Bryant the brother or uncle she never had in an interview earlier in her career, and she also revealed a quote that he told her to help alleviate stress when dealing with the media and fame she earned as such a young age.

“I remember he told me, ‘Imagine that you’re a lion and you’re hunting your prey,’” Osaka said. “‘So you see a deer off in the distance. And if you watch Animal Planet, you always see the lions looking at their prey, and they have gnats around their eyes. Think of the media and the press as gnats, and you’re the lion, so never get distracted. And you never see the lion trying to swat away the flies or anything like that.’”

It’s amazing how often Bryant was helping and looking out for other athletes, and it goes to show why he is such a beloved figure even though he is no longer living.

Hopefully, Osaka can make a deep run at the US Open to further honor Bryant’s legacy.