On what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday, Houston Rockets star James Harden wore custom shoes depicting Bryant’s two NBA jersey numbers in the purple and gold of his Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant died in January in a tragic helicopter crash, as did his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others. Harden, Russell Westbrook, and P.J. Tucker all attended his memorial service in February.
Harden grew up in the Los Angeles area, and his rise to NBA stardom overlapped with the end of Bryant’s 20-year career. As such, after growing up as a fan, Harden eventually became close with Bryant.
Late last week, Harden was asked about Bryant’s upcoming birthday, and how much he still thinks about him. Harden replied:
I think about Kobe all the time. His presence alone, he made you feel him. He impacted so many people with the game of basketball. His competitive nature, his spirit was unbelievable.
We all miss him. He was like a role model to me. I looked up to him as a basketball player when I was younger, growing up in LA. And then as he got older, on his way out of the league, he kind of became a real mentor — you know, outside of basketball, in the business world. That’s where our relationship really grew.
Harden’s custom shoes from Sunday’s practice can be viewed below.
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