Naomi Osaka remembers Kobe Bryant

Naomi Osaka remembered Kobe Bryant ahead of what would have been his 44th birthday.

Osaka grew up in the US and she has been a fan of basketball for a long time watching the sport from a young age. Living in Los Angeles gave her plenty of opportunities to attend games over the years and Kobe Bryant always left a special mark.

It's nothing uncommon, the legendary player left a mark on many athletes due to his commitment to hard work and getting better. To Osaka, he was a mentor, a sort of a big brother figure as she called him in her farewell letter when he died in a helicopter crash in 2020.

The way Osaka remember him ahead of hat would have been his 44th birhday was a simple message of how she misses him.