Published 18:24 IST, August 24th 2020
Kobe Bryant birthday: Nike, Kendrick Lamar pay tribute to NBA legend in 90-second video
Nike honoured late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 42nd birthday with a marvellous 90-second long tribute video.
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Late NBA legend Kobe Bryant would have turned 42 on Sunday, August 23. Fans and stars all around the world chose various ways to honour the Los Angeles Laker star on social media, including Lakers icon LeBron James. To celebrate his birthday, Nike teamed up with Kendrick Lamar to released a 90-second video that honoured the five-time NBA champion.
Kobe Bryant birthday: Nike, Kendrick Lamar share 90-second Kobe Bryant tribute video
Kobe taught us to be better. A better scorer, better mentor, better father, better champion. Today, on his birthday, we continue his endless pursuit of better.
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) August 23, 2020
Explore #MambaMentality. https://t.co/H4exgG9itT 💜💛
Performance: @kendricklamar pic.twitter.com/1Qm36V9mM6
In the video made up of various moments, Kendrick Lamar spoke about Bryant's Mamba Mentality, which always worked towards wanting to be better. The video also included moments with his thirteen-year-old daughter Gianna, who was onboard during the horrible helicopter crash that claimed Bryant's life. Bryant, Gianna and seven others including the pilot were travelling to Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy for one of Gianna's basketball game at Thousand Oaks on January 26. The world grieved Bryant's loss, as tributes kept pouring in all day in the form of videos, letters and countless tweets and Instagram posts.
Nike's 90-second tribute is an inspirational tribute, title "Better". As the clips run, Kendrick Lamar speaks in a pace to match the rhythm, which had some clips of Bryant's illustrious NBA career along with some clips about the recent Black Lives Matters (BLM) protests that happened in the USA. Bryant's retirement speech, where he spoke the famous words "Mamba out" was also included. “Better friend. Better fighter. Better rider. Better eater. Better leader. Better generation. Better nation,” Lamar said accompanied by a soothing piano melody. “Just be better. Can you do that?”
Nike also shared the video "Better" on its website, calling it a celebration of the "universal relevance of progress and highlights Kobe’s prolific desire for improvement. The Mamba Mentality is about getting better, every day, in everything we do. In his own words, Kobe described his Mamba Mentality by saying, ‘It’s to constantly try to be the best version of yourself.'"
Also read | Shareef O'Neal's Kobe Bryant collection inspired by their conversations before his death
Kobe Bryant tribute: Kobe Bryant birthday post by LeBron James
(Image credits: Nike basketball Twitter – @nikebasketball)
18:24 IST, August 24th 2020