THE AMERICA ONE NEWS
Jun 4, 2025  |  
0
 | Remer,MN
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge.
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge and Reasoning Support for Fantasy Sports and Betting Enthusiasts.
back  
topic
Salon
Salon
28 Aug 2024
By Gabriella Ferrigine Staff Writer Published August 28, 2024 2:11PM (EDT)


NextImg:Naomi Osaka wears Kobe Bryant jersey at US Open to "keep his spirit with me"

Tennis star Naomi Osaka during a recent U.S. Open press conference shared the reason behind why she wore NBA legend Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers jersey while speaking to reporters. 

The conference followed Osaka's first-round win at the Grand Slam tournament in Flushing, Queens, after she bested Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, marking her first win against a Top 10 player in more than four years.

Osaka shared that Bryant — who died in a tragic helicopter crash in 2020 — had attended the Open five years earlier, sitting in Osaka's box to watch her compete in the tournament's second round on the same court. “I honestly remember being a little bit in disbelief that he was coming specifically to watch my match. Just to feel that support was unreal,” Osaka said. 

“I think for me I always wear Kobe jerseys after matches and practices because I feel like a little bit, like, I can kind of keep his spirit with me,” she added.

Earlier this month, Osaka and Aussie tennis player Nick Kyrgios sported No. 24 and No. 8 Lakers jerseys in Bryant's honor during a mixed doubles exhibition match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Osaka posted a photo of herself and Kyrgios on the court, captioning the image with an assortment of emojis, including a snake — in an ostensible reference to Bryant's "Black-Mamba" alter ego, an infinity sign and a heart.