Tennis star Naomi Osaka during a recent U.S. Open press conference shared the reason behind why she wore NBA legend Kobe Bryant‘s Los Angeles Lakers jersey while speaking to reporters.
The conference followed Osaka’s first-round win at the Grand Slam tournament in Flushing, Queens, after she bested Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, marking her first win against a Top 10 player in more than four years.
Osaka shared that Bryant — who died in a tragic helicopter crash in 2020 — had attended the Open five years earlier, sitting in Osaka’s box to watch her compete in the tournament’s second round on the same court. “I honestly remember being a little bit in disbelief that he was coming specifically to watch my match. Just to feel that support was unreal,” Osaka said.
“I think for me I always wear Kobe jerseys after matches and practices because I feel like a little bit, like, I can kind of keep his spirit with me,” she added.
Earlier this month, Osaka and Aussie tennis player Nick Kyrgios sported No. 24 and No. 8 Lakers jerseys in Bryant’s honor during a mixed doubles exhibition match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Osaka posted a photo of herself and Kyrgios on the court, captioning the image with an assortment of emojis, including a snake — in an ostensible reference to Bryant’s “Black-Mamba” alter ego, an infinity sign and a heart.