WATCH: “He’s my guy” – Old video of Kobe Bryant picking Novak Djokovic over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer goes viral after the Serb paid tribute to the ‘mamba’ after winning his 24th major title

Novak Djokovic and Kobe Bryant have always heaped praise on each other.

WATCH: “He’s my guy” – Old video of Kobe Bryant picking Novak Djokovic over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer goes viral after the Serb paid tribute to the ‘mamba’ after winning his 24th major title

Novak Djokovic and Kobe Bryant (Images via The Independent, People)

Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title on Sunday as he beat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in three sets. The 36-year-old then paid tribute to his late friend and American basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Djokovic sported a ‘Mamba Forever’ t-shirt with his and Bryant’s picture on the front and #24 on the back. Djokovic also explained his gesture saying Bryant always inspired him to do well.

This was not the first time Djokovic openly credited Kobe Bryant for his elite mentality. Even after his French Open win, the Serbian has remembered the American legend. While Djokovic’s admiration for Kobe Bryant is well-known, an old video has revealed that the admiration was mutual and not one-sided. 

YouTube video

As Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title, an old video started doing the rounds on social media. In the video, Kobe Bryant is being asked to pick his choice between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, and the American legend wastes no time picking the Serbian. Bryant says that he has this relationship with Djokovic and hence would go with him.

YouTube video

Also Read: Andy Murray predicts Novak Djokovic will not stop at 24 Grand Slams, claims the guard never changed even after Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon victory

Novak Djokovic explains how he came up with the whole idea of paying tribute to Kobe Bryant

Novak Djokovic Kobe Bryant tribute
Novak Djokovic pays tribute to Kobe Bryant after his US Open title win (Images via @TheTennisLetter/X)

As Novak Djokovic wore the ‘Mamba Forever’ shirt after his US Open triumph, the Serbian was asked about why and how he came up with this whole idea. The 36-year-old revealed that he came up with this whole idea a week before the final. Djokovic revealed that he connected the dots- the 2023 US Open title being his 24th Grand Slam and Kobe Bryant’s jersey number the same.

Djokovic also revealed that he asked his team to get this customized shirt only 2 to 3 days before the ultimate showdown. The Serbian also talked about the influence the late American basketball legend had on him. Djokovic also remembered how Bryant helped him get through the tough phase in his career when he was recovering from an injury.

“Kobe was a close friend. We chatted a lot about a winner’s mentality when I was struggling with injury, trying to make my comeback. He was 1 of the people I rely on the most.. he was always there for advice,” said Djokovic during his on-court interview.

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