Kobe Bryant was the Michael Jordan for this era of basketball players.
He was the mountain top that every young player watched and tried to emulate their games after.
For DeMar DeRozan, growing up in California and watching Bryant play for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, the dream was clear. That was his idol.
In the two-year anniversary of the tragic passing of Kobe, along with his daughter Gigi and seven others, DeRozan reflected on his relationship with Bryant and what he meant to him following Wednesday night’s victory.
“For me personally, he meant everything to me basketball wise; that’s well documented. A mentor of mine. A friend of mine,” DeRozan said of Bryant.
DeMar DeRozan reflects on his friendship with Kobe Bryant: “He was everything to me” pic.twitter.com/HH9bsRGnMl
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) January 27, 2022
If you see DDR on the court, you can bet your bottom dollar he has on a pair of Kobe’s. DeRozan has worn Kobe’s every since he entered the league and is known around the NBA to have the best collection of the late Bryant’s signature shoe.
“Someone that taught me a big part of the game and motivated me to have the mentality that I have today. Just with that alone it should speak for itself on what he meant to me and what today meant.”
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