LeBron James’ recent tattoo paying tribute to Kobe Bryant has been revealed to fans. The design features a snake, a reference to Bryant’s “Black Mamba” nickname, and incorporates his jersey numbers. This serves as a memorial for the late basketball legend who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter and seven others.
On Instagram last Friday, the 35-year-old basketball superstar from the Los Angeles Lakers shared a photo of his new tattoo close-up. The post included a throwback photo sitting courtside with Bryant, his late teammate, who was 41 years old. James captioned the pictures with the hashtags #Mamba4Life, #RIPKobe, and #RIPGiGi. James’ new tattoo is a snake in homage to Bryant’s “Black Mamba” nickname and includes the numbers 8 and 24. Two roses and the phrase “Mamba 4 Life” are also part of the design. James first announced his memorial tattoo on his Instagram Story on Wednesday, where he shared that artist Vanessa Aurelia was working on a pattern on his left leg. Anthony Davis, another player from the Lakers, posted a similar video of himself getting a tattoo but did not reveal the design. Aurelia shared her thoughts about working with James in an Instagram post, expressing gratitude and calling him “dope.” She also expressed missing, loving, and cherishing Bryant.
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were en route to a youth basketball game with other parents and players from the Mamba Sports Academy girls’ team when they encountered hazy weather and their helicopter crashed on a hill in Calabasas, California. Sadly, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli, and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli also passed away in the tragedy. The pilot, Ara Zobayan, was also among those who lost their lives. Upon learning of the heartbreaking news, LeBron James took to Instagram to share two tributes to Kobe Bryant on Monday evening.
She uttered, “I’m not prepared, but I’ll give it a shot.” Every attempt to compose something for this post has led me to tears as I reminisce about you, my niece Gigi, and our unbreakable bond. Kobe Bryant, who bagged five championships in 20 seasons with the Lakers, shared this sentiment. The Lakers amassed a total of 20 titles during his tenure with the team. He continued, “It’s up to me now to shoulder this responsibility and carry on the legacy!” I implore God to bestow upon me the strength from above and keep a vigilant eye on me! There’s so much more that I want to express, but it’s too strenuous for me to deal with right now! Until we meet again, my beloved brother!” The next day, the NBA champion uploaded a video to his YouTube channel featuring his welcoming of Kobe Bryant and his girlfriend Gianna during a recent game at the Staples Center.
