Moments after Novak Djokovic gained the U.S. Open males’s singles remaining on Sunday evening, he pulled a T-shirt out his bag and put it on.
The shirt mentioned “Mamba Without end” and had a picture of Djokovic along with Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star who died in a helicopter crash in 2020 with one in every of his daughters and 7 others.
Throughout the again, the shirt additionally had a No. 24, which Bryant used for 10 seasons with the Lakers (he additionally used No. 8 for 10 seasons).
Djokovic mentioned in an interview on the court docket throughout the trophy ceremony that the concept for the tribute got here as he realized his twenty fourth Grand Slam singles title was inside attain, giving him an opportunity to attach with a significant quantity from Bryant’s profession.
“I believed 24 is the jersey that he wore when he turned a legend of Lakers and world basketball,” Djokovic mentioned. “So I believed it might be a pleasant symbolic factor to acknowledge him.”
Djokovic added that he had an in depth relationship with Bryant and infrequently sought the basketball star’s recommendation, particularly as he tried to recuperate from accidents.
Many athletes have praised Bryant over time for his relentless drive, nicknamed the Mamba Mentality, which he confirmed repeatedly as he pursued N.B.A. championships (he gained 5) and tried to indicate himself to be the perfect participant on the court docket.
“We chatted rather a lot in regards to the winner’s mentality,” Djokovic mentioned. “He was one of many folks that I relied on essentially the most. He was at all times there for any form of counsel, recommendation, any form of assist in a most pleasant manner.”
Djokovic’s shirt will not be the primary ode to Bryant from a U.S. Open winner. When Naomi Osaka gained the match in 2020, defeating Victoria Azarenka, she returned to the court docket after her match to pose for an image along with her trophy sporting a No. 8 Bryant jersey.
“I wore this jersey day-after-day after my matches,” Osaka mentioned on Instagram. “I actually assume it gave me energy. At all times.”