Trae Young never shared an NBA floor with Kobe Bryant, but the two still built a relationship early in Young’s career. The two met largely because Young Giant’s daughter, Gianna, was a favorite player. Kobe attended three NBA games during the 2019-20 season, two of which were Young’s.
This made Bryant’s death in January 2020 so much more emotional for Young. Kobe was close to several NBA players, but Young also had to grieve the loss of Gianna. On the day of their helicopter crash, Young pulled out with a number 8 jersey – Bryant’s former number – rather than his typical number 11. Tuesday was the one-year anniversary of Bryant’s death, and Young once again found a way to get the Laker -legend.
Young’s Hawks led the Clippers by eight with about two minutes of play left when he drafted from near the Atlanta logo. Swish. Atlanta’s lead swelled to 11 on a shot that turned out to be the vowel, and Young flicked the number two and four, ’24 ‘, Bryant’s other uniform.
That the moment has come against the Clippers, Bryant’s opponent and the team he almost signed with in 2004 makes it so much more satisfying. Tributes ranging from teammates like Pau Gasol to friends like Kyrie Irving have been common over the past few days, but Young’s dedication to Bryant’s legacy is particularly inspiring. They may never have played against each other, but Kobe could still influence his career and life enough to make such a tribute.