Kyrie Irving Shares Fond Memories Of Kobe Bryant

Kyrie Irving was a huge fan of Kobe Bryant growing up and when he entered the league, the Los Angeles Lakers legend welcomed him with open arms. They had a solid relationship for years which is why Irving was so distraught when Kobe tragically passed away in a helicopter crash back in January. Since Kobe’s death, multiple players have shared some of their favorite stories regarding the legend. Recently, Irving did the exact same thing during an Instagram live session.

Irving spoke about a particular moment in which Kobe dropped 42 on him. What made the game so special was an instance in which Kobe blocked Kyrie and then got the bucket going the other way.

Per Kyrie:

“Kobe had 42 points that game and he guaranteed that he was gonna give us 40. So I get it at the top of the key, I hear the crowd and the crowd was like; they;re all erupting silently. They’re like: ‘oh!!’ and everybody starts clapping like: ‘oh yeah!’ and it’s at the top of the key. Now what does that remind you of?

Back in the city, back in Jersey, when you get in that moment, this is your time. So I get at the top of the key and I make a move, he stutters for a minute and I spin. When I spun, this dude was waiting for that and he punched that shit. He punched it, he punched it bro.”

Irving’s story is yet another example of just how great the Black Mamba was. Needless to say, this entire NBA season is dedicated to Kobe.