US Open: Naomi Osaka pays tribute to Kobe Bryant – wants to ‘keep his legacy alive’
- New champion posts photo of her in Bryant’s Lakers jersey to social media in aftermath of win over Victoria Azarenka
- ‘He thought I was going to be great, so hopefully I will be great in the future,’ three-time grand slam winner says of NBA legend
US Open champion Naomi Osaka paid tribute to Kobe Bryant after her victory over Victoria Azarenka on Saturday night by wearing the star’s Los Angeles Lakers jersey and then speaking about his legacy alive in the post-match press conference.
“Yeah, I mean, for me, I feel like at this point there are certain things that I do that I hope can make him proud,” Osaka told the media after a hard-fought three-set victory over the Belarusian.
“It’s, like, keeping his legacy alive for me. I think it’s amazing how one person can inspire so many people. Everyone has a really great story about him just being kind, spreading warmth.”
Osaka, winning her third grand slam singles event at 22, had earlier posted to Instagram, sharing a photo her holding the trophy while wearing Bryant’s No 8 Lakers jersey.
“I wore this jersey every day after my matches. I truly think it gave me strength. Always,” she wrote along with yellow and purple heart emojis.
Bryant died in a helicopter crash in California in January that also killed eight others, including his daughter Gianna.
Osaka was friends with the five-time NBA champion and she mentioned that she wants to live up to his expectations in the press-conference.
“For me, I just want to be the person that he thought I was going to be. He thought I was going to be great, so hopefully I will be great in the future. Only time will tell.”
Bryant’s former team the Los Angeles Lakers advanced to their first Western Conference Finals since 2010, the last year they were crowned NBA champions, on Saturday night with victory over the Houston Rockets.
