LeBron James pays tribute to Kobe Bryant with new tattoo ahead of emotional return to Staples Center
LEBRON James has paid tribute to Kobe Bryant by getting a tattoo in his honor, days after the Lakers star’s tragic death.
The NBA legend died aged 41 in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.
Paying homage to his friend, the 35-year-old shared a boomerang on his Instagram story on Wednesday of tattoo artist Vanessa Aurelia working on his thigh.
Captioning the video, James penned: “It’s that time again! Working with my girl @Nessaurelia!! Gang gang!”
The sports star’s new inking was then seen yesterday as he trained with his teammates in El Segundo, California, wrapped in clear cellophane.
While the tattoo is hard to read, it appeared to be of a black snake and roses with “Mamba for Life” etched underneath.
Mamba references Bryant’s nickname for his alter-ego.
Following James’ lead, Anthony Davis, another LA Lakers player, also got inking on his leg from the same tattoo artist.
The basketball star shared a boomerang of the process and gave fans a glimpse of the purple-coloured artwork, which appeared to have wings.
The players tributes comes as the Lakers prepare for an emotional return to the Staples Center where they’ll play against hometown rivals Los Angeles Clippers.
Earlier this week, James revealed his heartbreak over Bryant’s untimely passing in an Instagram and vowed to continue Kobe’s legacy.
The sports star explained that he last spoke with Kobe on Sunday morning in a call which he never expected would be their “last conversation”.
LeBron found out about his old friend’s death after his plane landed in Los Angeles – and was seen in tears as he walked across the tarmac.
James was back in LA having just overtaken Bryant to become the third-highest points scorer in NBA history – in the latter’s home town of Philadelphia.
On his historic night, LeBron had poignantly etched the words “Mamba 4 Life” on his sneakers, a nod to Bryant’s nickname.
LeBron and Kobe never played together in the NBA – but were team-mates for Team USA as they won gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
James, after spending his career at the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, is now at the Lakers.
Basketball legend Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were both killed when the helicopter hit a hillside in fog on Sunday morning, alongside 7 others. He was 41.
Baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and daughter Alyssa Altobelli were also onboard, as was Gigi’s school basketball coach Christina Mauser.
The other passengers were Sarah Chester and her middle school-aged daughter Payton, who was a teammate of Gianna’s and the helicopter’s pilot Ara Zobayan.
They were on their way to a basketball game in Thousand Oaks when the chopper went down in foggy conditions.
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Kobe was an 18-time NBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist who won five NBA championships and a two-time NBA scoring champion.
He also won an Academy Award in 2018 for his contributions to “Dear Basketball,” an animated short film about his relationship to the game.
He’s survived by wife Vanessa, 37, his wife of 19 years, and three of his daughters, Natalia, 17, Bianka, three and 7-month-old Capri.
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