“GOAT”: Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade & More Honor Kobe Bryant Amid 47th Birthday Celebrations

Today carries a weight that’s hard to put into words, a bittersweet mix of joy and sorrow. As we honor what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 47th birthday, our hearts ache knowing he’s no longer here. Tomorrow, on 8/24, the world will celebrate Kobe Day, cherishing the legacy he left behind on and off the court. He may be gone, but his spirit continues to inspire millions, just as he once said: “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do.” And even from above, he’s still doing exactly that. And today, as his friends, family, and fans softly whisper “Happy Birthday, Mamba,” you can almost imagine him smiling and blowing out the candles from heaven.

Scottie Pippen took to Instagram to honor Kobe, sharing a heartfelt video edit with the caption, “Mamba Forever 🖤🐍.” The clip starts with the text, “them: you must have had a good dream. you were smiling… My dream:” and then rolls into Kobe’s iconic game against the Jazz, where he nailed the winning shot, dropped 58 points, and the entire arena erupted in celebration — with his wife and kids right there sharing the moment.

The Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade also paid tribute on Instagram, sharing two nostalgic pictures with the caption, “Happy Birthday Kobe ❤️.” In the first photo, the two are seen sharing a laugh, and in the second, they stand side by side, showing off their iconic jersey numbers — 24 and 3.

Matt Barnes also shared a heartfelt throwback on Instagram with the caption, “Happy 47th Bro Love & Miss You …. 💜💛🐍♾️ #LLKB24.” In the picture, Kobe is seen smiling wide while holding Barnes’ kids in his arms — kids who had a special bond with him and lovingly called him “Uncle.” Carter and Isaiah Barnes also posted an old photo with Kobe and Matt, writing, “Wishing you a very happy birthday, Uncle @kobebryant, we’re doing our best to keep the Mamba Mentality alive.” Kobe had trained Matt’s twin sons, giving them a private workout for their 10th birthday and mentoring them in their basketball journey. Matt shared several heartfelt throwback clips on his Instagram stories about the kids and Kobe.

And, how can we forget Shaquille O’Neal when the conversation is about Kobe Bryant? Shaq reposted an edit by @dmacthedon on his Instagram Story, showing him and Kobe smoking cigars together — sharing it simply, without any caption. The O’Neal connection with Kobe runs deep. Shaq’s son, Shaqir O’Neal, posted a picture of Kobe mid-air, flying towards the hoop — the perfect shot and tribute.

Shaq’s daughter, Me’Arah O’Neal, also posted a heartfelt tribute on her Story, sharing a photo with Kobe while wearing her Florida Gators jersey with the number 8, mirroring his early Lakers jerseys. She wrote, “keep one foot in front of the other and just keep on goin.. im still tryna do what you taught me mane.” In another story, she shared a picture of Kobe and settled the GOAT debate once and for all, writing, “happy birthday goat❤️ love you past life.”

While friends and

family celebrate his birthday, let’s dive into one of Kobe’s most inspiring traits through D-Wade’s experiences — his competitiveness.

Dwyane Wade’s front-row seat to the Mamba Mentality

When Dwyane Wade first entered the NBA in 2003, Kobe Bryant was already one of his idols, and his very first encounter with him is something he’ll never forget. In just his tenth game as a rookie, Wade found himself switched onto Kobe and quickly realized he was in for a lesson.

“When I first got in the NBA, one of my idols [was] Kobe Bryant,” Wade recalled on The Dan Patrick Show. “My tenth game in the NBA, I get a chance to play the Lakers and I eventually get switched off on Kobe. And I am guarding him, and he is just like whistling. He’s just making little noises, and I am like, ‘You don’t even take me seriously. Now I am scared.’” It was Wade’s ‘welcome to the NBA’ moment, delivered in classic Kobe fashion.

Fast forward to 2008, during the Olympics with the Redeem Team, where Wade finally got to know Kobe personally. By then, Wade had built strong friendships with LBJ, Melo, and others, but Kobe Bryant was different—distant, focused, and unapproachable. “I believe all of us would say Kobe because nobody had a relationship with Kobe,” Wade told Jemele Hill.

“If you were able to say hi, it went far.” That summer changed everything. “We were both playing the same position,” Wade said. “I was 26, he was 30. I was chasing him to get in his eye sights so he can respect me. I’ve always heard about his work ethic. I’ve always heard of this character called the Black Mamba… I wanted to see what the Black Mamba was really like… and then we all got a chance to experience the work.” Wade also admitted, “That’s a lot to laugh with Kobe. Kobe wasn’t a laugher. He didn’t talk to you. We all had handshakes. Kobe didn’t have a handshake.”

Then came one of their most unforgettable moments — the 2012 All-Star Game. Wade accidentally broke Kobe’s nose during a tussle, earning the first and only flagrant foul in All-Star history. “Me and Kobe, we got into a little tussle in the All-Star Game and I ended up hitting him the wrong way and broke his nose,” Wade told.

“So after the All-Star game, we got the Lakers about three games after the break… I call him and I say, ‘Aye yo Kobe—’ and he says, ‘Hey, yo bro, I love it.’ I’m like, ‘You what?’ He’s like, ‘I love it. I’ll see you in a couple of days.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, snap.’ And he gave it to me too, boy.”

Kobe dropped 33 points on 14-of-23 shooting that night, proving just how competitive he was. One thing’s for sure — Kobe lived for the competition, always ready to push and be pushed. Wade also got to experience Mamba’s mentality up close.