Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Fallon recounted a beer run they had back in 1996 on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. At that time, Kobe was a 17-year-old rookie for the Lakers and Jimmy was a struggling 21-year-old stand-up comic.

They met at a party where the two barely knew anyone. Soon, they started talking and hit it off. Afterwards, the host of the party asked somebody to go on a beer run because they had run out of beer. Kobe volunteered and asked Jimmy to come with him. The two embarked on a beer run together in Kobe’s land cruiser.

Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Fallon go on a beer run

Kobe just started playing for the Lakers, and Jimmy barely knew anything in LA. So, they both wandered to a random place to buy beer. The shopkeeper refused to sell them any beer because the place only accepted the delivery orders. They made several entreaties, but the shopkeeper was adamant.

Suddenly, Kobe pulled out his Lakers ID and displayed it on the glass. “I’m a Laker“, he said confidently, much to Jimmy’s admiration and surprise. They walked out of the store with five cases of beer.

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The two had a good laugh after telling the audience the story. Both of them complimented each other on how far they had come since then.

Jimmy’s eulogy after Kobe’s death

On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna passed away in a fatal helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Jimmy delivered a heartwarming eulogy in Kobe’s memory. He shared their beer run story in front of a grieving audience.

“When we would run into each other over the years, we’d laugh about that night that we first met“, said Jimmy, fighting back tears.

He also remembered the times he and Kobe used to talk about raising their daughters and the stupid mistakes they had made in the process. But above all, Jimmy highlighted what an amazing and inspirational player Kobe was. He listed out his accolades with pride.

Before ending his speech, Jimmy had this message for the audience: “Love your family, love your teammates, and outwork everyone else in the gym“.

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Jimmy aptly summed up Kobe’s outlook on life in a few words for us to follow.