Australian tennis player, Nick Kyrgios, reminisces his favorite Kobe Bryant six months after his unfortunate death. He still finds it heartbreaking to even think of the loss.

Ranked world No. 40, Nick Kyrgios has a close connection with basketball from a young age. He holds huge respect for stars like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.

Talking about Kobe’s death in a chat with ‘Basketball Forever’, Nick said, “I still can’t believe. I’m still like in awe of what happened. I was talking to my best friend the other day, and I was like, ‘Dude, it’s still so surreal.'”

The Mamba passed away this January in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. The NBA world shook after the major demise of their legend.

Nick Kyrgios says he had goosebumps when he wore Kobe Bryant No.8 jersey for the match

Nick was speaking about the impact this news created on him that day.

“The initial feeling was like, I didn’t even know if I wanted to play that day…It just hurts.” Nick never thought of the possibility of it happening. He said the news was heavy, and still is. “The first thing was like I want to wear one of his jerseys when I play. I don’t want anyone to ever forget him, forget what he was about,” he confessed.

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The day post Kobe’s death, Nick Kyrgios was going up against No.1 Rafael Nadal in round 4 of the pre-quarterfinal clash. He paid tribute to the Lakers legend by wearing his No.8 jersey.

“That was just the moment that I had goosebumps walking out in the Kobe jersey. I just remember the crowd was so loud and I couldn’t hold it in.” Nick remembers that special moment. A tribute video was played before the match and Nick was in tears that day. It was a heart-wrenching sight to watch that made news the next day.

Talking about it, he said, “I just wanted to be like him. Just for that little match, just for those couple of hours… No one can emulate what Kobe was about. We can only try.”

Across sports, Kobe Bryant created an impact on so many player’s careers. He was truly a model of dedication and hard work that inspired the world.