Novak Djokovic pays a heartfelt ode to Kobe Bryant by recalling how the Lakers legend helped him during tough times

Djokovic revealed that Bryant was one of the few people that he could rely on the most.

Novak Djokovic pays a heartfelt ode to Kobe Bryant by recalling how the Lakers legend helped him during tough times

(L) Novak Djokovic showing his Kobe Bryant inspired t-shirt; (R) Djokovic with Bryant (Images via X/Marca)

24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic paid his respects to the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant in his 2023 US Open winner’s speech. He said that Bryant helped him through quite a few tough times and that he helped the Serb get through his journey to a comeback following an injury. The Serbian also showed fans of tennis and basketball alike his ‘Mamba Mentality’ t-shirt, which he designed as a tribute to the basketball legend.

Djokovic emphasized the symbolism of the number 24. Both legends have this number in common following the 2023 US Open. While the American played with the number 24 jersey, Djokovic has created history by winning 24 Grand Slam titles, the most by any player in the Open Era.

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When asked about the Mamba mentality and where the ‘Novak, will to win’ comes from, the Serb responded, “I thought of doing this t-shirt eventually if I got a chance to win the tournament. It was about seven days ago.” He also said he did not share this idea with anyone until about two days ago when he asked his team for help.

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Djok further said, “Kobe was a close friend. We chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality when I was struggling with an injury and trying to make my comeback to the top of the game.” The 36-year-old revealed that Bryant was one of the few people that he could rely on the most. Apparently, the late basketball player was always available for any kind of friendly counsel or advice. He also expressed his grief regarding the passing of Bryant and his daughter in a helicopter crash a few years ago.

Novak’s victory at the US Open could be the biggest tribute he could give Kobe. Djokovic took this opportunity to remember the American sporting icon that too among the American crowd. He has indeed made quite the comeback, and this is a great tribute to Bryant.

Related: List of records broken by Novak Djokovic after winning the 2023 US Open

Djokovic threw light on the ‘battle within’ before his final match

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Novak Djokovic (Image via US Open Tennis Championships/YouTube)

Djokovic admitted in the after-match press conference, that he was going through quite the ‘battle within’ a day before his final. He mentioned that the fact that he had not played on American soil in nearly two years and the last time he did play, he lost against the same player he defeated this year took quite a toll on his mind.

He also revealed that he made sure his family knew not to talk to him about the match and the various possible scenarios. “It was a big battle I thing within in the last 24 hours to keep things simple and clear,” he said.

He also talked about the second set of the match. Djokovic admitted that this was probably the longest set in his life. He also said that it was hard to play such a set against a top player like Daniil Medvedev. Regardless of all these struggles before the match, Djokovic managed to play his best tennis and outplayed his World No.3 opponent.

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