“Treated me like his son,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. talks about how Derek Jeter became his idol after Kobe Bryant’s death

Jazz Chisholm Jr. talks about why the NY Yankees mean so much to him, and how former pinstripes Derek Jeter helped him back in the day.

“Treated me like his son,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. talks about how Derek Jeter became his idol after Kobe Bryant’s death

Derek Jeter, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Kobe Bryant [Image Credit: Imago/Forbes/WWO]

Jazz Chisholm Jr. talked about how Hall of Famer Derek Jeter became his idol after icon Kobe Bryant’s death. The 26-year-old recently joined his idol’s team the New York Yankees on Saturday via a three-prospects trade from the Miami Marlins. 

It was Jeter who brought Chisholm Jr. to the Marlins during his time as the CEO of the team. Jeter confidently said, “you know I traded for you myself” when the young star joined the Marlins. Chisholm Jr. was a fan of Kobe Bryant, but due to the unfortunate helicopter accident, he couldn’t meet his idol.

YouTube video

Chisholm Jr. was supposed to meet Bryant face-to-face and was present at the Mamba Academy in LA, two days prior to the heartbreaking incident. Soon after learning of the accident Jazz Chisholm Jr. called Jeter, crying, to talk about his all-time idol’s death.

FS Video
It was like, OK my dream is about to come true, I’m about to meet my idol. And the helicopter happens. I called Derek Jeter, on the phone, crying. I was like, bro, I was supposed to meet Kobe and he just died.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. on X.

He requested Jeter “you have to be my idol”, and from that day onwards, Derek Jeter treated the young star just “like his son.” He even called him his shortstop, saying he would have loved to play with Chisholm if he didn’t retire.

RELATED
Yankees newbie Jazz Chisholm Jr. not BOTHERED about position as long as it “help my team win”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. [Image Credit: NY Post]

Jazz Chisholm Jr. dons Alex Rodriguez’s No.13 jersey on debut

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s debut as a New York Yankees marked the team’s consecutive win against the Boston Red Sox with an 8-2 score and the Philadelphia Phillies with a 14-4 margin. He even donned Alex Rodriguez’s No.13 jersey on his debut day.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Alex Rodriguez [Image Credit: Facebook/Imago]
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Alex Rodriguez [Image Credit: Facebook/Imago]

Coincidentally, he wore his idol Derek Jeter’s No.2 jersey when he was with the Marlins, and he got to don A-Rod’s No.13 as part of the pinstripes. To further solidify his debut, he added two home runs against the Phillies to boost the team to victory.

Although there was a controversy about whether he’d be a good fit for the team in the locker room, the thoughts seemed to have subdued a lot. He went to the field carrying Aaron Judge’s bat. But it seems like the weight was not to his liking. 

Chisholm Jr. said, “Definitely not gonna use that again tomorrow, that bat was so heavy!” Judge also praised him saying “He’s electric”. Chisholm wishes to play with the team in the playoffs, and if the Yanks can be consistent with their results, they can become a threatening force for their rivals.

In case you missed: