Justin Timberlake shares lengthy tribute to ‘inspiration’ Kobe Bryant

January 27, 2020

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Kobe Bryant impacted the lives of millions of people in one way or another, and the continuous tributes that are pouring in from global icons are further proof of that.

Like many others inside and outside of Hollywood, Justin Timberlake had a personal connection with Bryant. On Monday, Timberlake took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the tragic helicopter accident that claimed the life of Kobe, Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter and seven other people. Timberlake said he and Kobe “bonded over our drive and process” when they were only teenagers, but they most recently connected over fatherhood.

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We met when we were both teenagers and bonded over our drive and process. I was in awe of what you could do with a basketball and knew your talent went beyond your physical gifts and stretched to your mentality. A mentality that I would take with me throughout my whole career and still use every day. As the years went by, I watched you do things that seemed humanly unimaginable. And, through ups and downs, championships and injuries, you still remained with an unwavering resolve about your mentality to remain fierce to competition. But, every time we would speak, something started to change… your patience and ease grew. And it inspired me to continue to grow for myself. Years passed, and the “old man” jokes would start to be traded back and forth. We both appreciated a good “ribbing.” We joked about “The Vino Club.” You nicknamed yourself ‘Vino’ to represent how one could age gracefully as a fine wine does. But, you never stopped aiming to inspire me. Your confidence in me was huge – it really affected me because I admired you so much. I don’t mean as one of the greatest athletes ever. I mean as a person. People sometimes can confuse a will to win with a lack of compassion. That wasn’t you. You had both qualities. The last conversation that we shared was about being fathers and what that meant. That was, beyond all the things that we could do in this world, our true legacy. Who our children are and what beautiful people they will become. And, I guess right now, without being able to find all the words, THAT father connection is what is most devastating for me. I am sending my love to Vanessa and your family and to the families of everyone connected in the mourning of this terrible tragedy. My heart is broken and my family lifts you up in our thoughts and prayers. Kobe… You have connected so many of us. The Mamba Mentality will last for all of time. I know that will be a source for me every day as it has been for so many days before. Your legacy is with us. It’s our responsibility to pass it down now. I hope you I can continue to make you proud, Vino. Champ, MVP, Legend, Hero, Inspiration, Father, Friend. I’m gonna miss you, brother. Mamba forever.

A post shared by Justin Timberlake (@justintimberlake) on Jan 27, 2020 at 10:48am PST

“People sometimes can confuse a will to win with a lack of compassion. That wasn’t you. You had both qualities. The last conversation that we shared was about being fathers and what that meant. That was, beyond all the things that we could do in this world, our true legacy. Who our children are and what beautiful people they will become. And, I guess right now, without being able to find all the words, THAT father connection is what is most devastating for me,” Timberlake wrote.

Timberlake also mentioned Kobe’s “Vino Club,” which was a running joke Kobe had about a group of entertainers who got better with age. He included Timberlake along with Peyton Manning and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the club.

We have already seen heartfelt tributes from some of Kobe’s former teammates and coaches, but Bryant’s death is so hard to process because he was much more than a legendary basketball player. He is a legend, period. It’s also extremely painful to read about the big plans he had for his daughter Gianna, who — like the other children who died in the crash — had her entire life ahead of her.

As a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies and global celebrity, Timberlake certainly had plenty in common with Kobe.

More Larry Brown Sports coverage of Kobe Bryant’s death:

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Other victims of the helicopter crash:
– John Altobelli, junior college baseball coach, also died in helicopter crash
– Christina Mauser, girls’ basketball coach, among the helicopter crash victims

Tributes to Kobe:
– Dallas Mavericks retire Kobe Bryant’s No. 24 jersey
– Video: Raptors, Spurs start game with amazing tribute to Kobe Bryant
– Shaq posts heartfelt tribute to Kobe Bryant
– Michael Jordan releases statement on death of ‘little brother’ Kobe Bryant
– Video: Doc Rivers breaks down crying talking about Kobe Bryant
– Phil Jackson calls Kobe Bryant ‘a chosen one’ in statement on his death
– NBA commissioner Adam Silver issues statement on death of Kobe Bryant
– Video: Dwyane Wade posts emotional message reacting to Kobe Bryant’s death
– Kendrick Perkins extends olive branch to Kevin Durant after Kobe Bryant’s death
– Video: Emotional Mike Breen sums up NBA world’s emotions about Kobe Bryant’s death
– Trae Young’s huge game was full of Kobe Bryant-related statistical coincidences