Kobe Bryant enchanted the NBA universe with his on-court mastery for 20 years. His NBA legacy will always be remembered for the work and perseverance he put into his craft. Technique met tenacity for the Black Mamba. In addition to possessing poise, he had a staunch bite to his game, offering a clash of different worlds.

Kobe was an inspiration for this reason. He was always digging deeper to add new skills to his repertoire, which led to his gallant rise. His positive influence, however, was not restricted to the realm of hoops. It leaked beyond that and inspired anyone who was familiar with the principles of the Mamba Mentality.

Echoes of his enormous influence were also heard in the tennis world. Novak Djokovic lifted his fourth straight Wimbledon men’s singles title this Sunday, and his 21st Grand Slam title overall. Following winning the coveted title, the tennis player quoted Kobe Bryant, indicating that he is already eyeing another trophy.

“My favorite title is the next title,” said Djokovic.

Kobe always desired for this to be his legacy. He pushed individuals to continually strive for more and to move sports forward as a whole.

Fans lash out at Djokovic for quoting Kobe Bryant

While Djokovic quoted Kobe Bryant, displaying what Mamba Mentality is all about, many were not pleased by it. Many people assumed that the tennis star was being arrogant and overconfident. While others chastised him for being unoriginal.

Kobe had a big impact on Novak Djokovic

Kobe Bryant had an enormous influence on many people’s lives. Novak Djokovic is also another individual who has had Kobe accompany him throughout his career.

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Djokovic has built a solid career; however, there was a time when he was going through a tough phase. He was lucky though, to have a friend and mentor like Kobe by his side. The tennis star was battling an elbow injury between 2017 and 2018 that held him back.

However, the tables turned for Djokovic as he had a bounce-back year in 2018. He took home the Wimbledon and the US Open titles and dominated the tour as a whole.

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When asked what changed, he said that the Los Angeles Lakers legend was one of his mentors and helped him cope emotionally and physically.

Kobe, along with his daughter Gianna, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in January 2020. Djokovic couldn’t hold his tears back following the loss of his dear friend during a post-match interview. He also shared how Kobe was his inspiration and how he was always there for him.

He also paid tribute to Kobe by donning a jacket with Bryant’s initials. It also had his basketball jersey numbers — 8 and 24 — imprinted on it. As he walked off the court, he left a touching note for Kobe and his daughter. He wrote on a camera lens, “KB 8 24 Gigi Love You.”

These are the instances that define Kobe Bryant’s legacy, which stretched far beyond basketball.