King James and fellow NBA superstar bid farewell to star Hip-Hop producer, DJ Clark Kent. The 58-year-old’s family announced the demise on Thursday via Instagram. Kent, whose real name is Rodolfo Franklin, suffered colon cancer and took his final breath after a three-year battle. The LA Lakers superstar LeBron James, who produced two consecutive wins for the side, took to his IG stories immediately after tonight’s game to pay his respects.

James shared DJ Clark Kent’s official IG handle’s latest post that announced his demise on his stories and wrote, “Rest In Paradise Legend!!!!” The emotional note from Kent’s post read, “Clark passed away Thursday evening surrounded by his devoted wife Kesha, daughter Kabriah and son Antonio.” More importantly, the note also added a comforting message in this distressing time.

It read, “Clark quietly and valiantly fought a three year battle with Colon Cancer while continuing to share his gifts with the world.” Franklin indeed left the earth as a true artist!

The Phoenix Suns duo Kevin Durant and Devin Booker also joined the Lakers superstar to pay their respect for the hip-hop artist. While KD simply honored him by sharing the same post on his IG story, D-Book added, “Rest easy bro.” The Suns’ duo dropped these stories after their latest regular loss against the Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena.

Kent made a name for himself with his single ‘Player’s Anthem’ after the song became a massive hit. And instantly, Kent found himself in Jay Z’s studio as the key producer for the debut album, Reasonable Doubt, producing hit tracks like Brooklyn’s Finest and Coming of Age. Apart from Jay Z, he also worked with notable artists like Queen Latifah, Ye, Mariah Carey, Redman, 50 Cent, and Estelle. LeBron even shared a close relationship with the now-deceased Kent.

How close was LeBron James with DJ Clark Kent?

LeBron James was professionally involved with Kent, unlike others. Kent had the responsibility to design a special colorway for LeBron James’ signature sneakers every year. Over the years, Kent had gone all out with his colorways, picking colors between neon, elephant print, nubuck, and reflective materials.

Moreover, fans can even spot the superstar sporting the colorway once in a while out in public, directly giving a shout-out to the artist. Speaking of his 2011 design for LeBron 8, Kent had a lot to say. The artist, speaking about Denim LeBron 8s, said, ” When LeBron got the sneakers, he loved them. They were just for him and his crew. He said they were dope, he said he loved them, and that they were crazy. Rich Paul who runs LeBron’s marketing company said they were dope too. He said, “Bron loves these brah.” The denim was for their crew to rock in the fall.”

Apart from the professional relationship, the duo also shared a close bond. Kent often gave shout-outs to the man himself on his social media handles regularly. King James indeed lost a true buddy! We at Essentially Sports offer our heartfelt condolence to Rodolfo Franklin A.K.A DJ Clark Kent’s family during these tough times!