Cam Newton pays tribute to late 'friend' Kobe Bryant with heartwarming gift

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton just had the perfect gift for his friend on his birthday. The quarterback shared a short clip to Instagram where he gifted his friend, D Lawrence Jr., a portrait of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. Earlier this year, the Lakers legend was involved in a tragic helicopter crash that killed him, his daughter Gianna and seven others.

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Cam Newton's honours Kobe Bryant

Cam Newton is himself known to be a huge fan of Kobe Bryant. In the video below, the Patriots signal-caller shows off his massive portrait collection, which also features a painting of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. With his friend waiting in one room, Newton grabbed Kobe Bryant's painting and gifted it to his friend. The 31-year-old said in the video he had to have the painting as soon as he saw it. The reaction of his friend was equally priceless:

The portrait of the NBA legend was from his pro-days when Bryant was just an up-and-coming star at the Lakers. Newton revealed he had an instant affinity to the painting. 

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Cam Newton's friend later took to Instagram to pay a short tribute to Bryant while thanking the NFL star for his thoughtful gift. "Birthday Gift from UNO! Haven’t seen my dawg @cameron1newton in a few weeks because we both been in grind mode but yesterday he blessed my with my birthday a MASTERPIECE of (Kobe Bryant). If you know me you know Kobe was one of the only people that I wanted to me and never got the chance because of his passing. I did get to watch his greatness courtside when him and @kingjames (LeBron James) faced off for the last time in the Staple Center," he wrote.

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Meanwhile, Cam Newton is gearing up for his redemption season in the NFL. The former MVP was released by the Carolina Panthers earlier this year after he struggled with injuries for the last two seasons. However, within three months of his release, the quarterback found a new home in New England.

Tasked with replacing veteran quarterback Tom Brady, Newton was offered a one-year deal by the Patriots with a maximum value of just $7.5 million. His contract is heavily incentivised, with a base salary of just $1.1 million. Nevertheless, the quarterback seems to be rearing to go with his new side and is working extremely hard to regain his peak fitness.

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(Image Credits: Cam Newton Instagram Handle)