After Kobe Bryant’s tragic demise back in 2020, there were talks about the potential of retiring Kobe’s number league-wide. And die-hard Kobe fan Norman Powell claimed that it would be an appropriate gesture. He even said “If they want to retire 24, I’ll find a new number. Go to 8, go to something, but find a way to relate back to Kobe somehow, someway.” And now, the lifelong Kobe fan revealed his last interaction with his “mentor”.

Norman Powell joined The Athletic in a conversation where he shared, “The last time I talked to Kobe was when he had his players-only private camp, up at the Sports Academy. It was invite-only.” For Powell, who idolized Bryant for years, this was a dream come true. “Honestly, that was probably the craziest moment for me… I was just like (slackjawed). I’m stuck.”

By the second day, Powell was ready to soak up every bit of wisdom Kobe had to offer. He shared how the Black Mamba pulled him aside after a drill, giving him personalized advice on elevating his game. “He’s just telling me how you raise a killer, how you become a killer in the league,” Powell recalled. According to Powell, Kobe advised him to strip emotion from his game and focus on tactical execution. “Remove all that [emotion]. That doesn’t matter. What matters is the task at hand,” Powell explained, reflecting on how deeply this impacted him.

After Kobe’s demise, Powell even encouraged Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to honor Kobe’s legacy by retiring his jersey number. Soon after that Cuban obliged, making it official: “The number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick.”

However, Powell did embrace the “mamba mentality” and is currently dominating the league with 23.3 PPG, 3.1 REB, and 2.3 AST with 49.0 FG%. Though he is currently recovering from a hamstring injury and may miss a few more games. But analysts and fans are hopeful that this will be the 2019 NBA champ’s season, where he is in the running for his first All-Star appearance.

Powell honors Kobe Bryant’s legacy through his game and life

Of course, Norman Powell has always been a die-hard Kobe Bryant fan. From wearing Kobe’s iconic number 24 to rocking sneakers from the Nike Kobe signature line, Powell has made it clear where his inspiration comes from. “Kobe means everything to me,” Powell shared in an interview. “Growing up, I gravitated towards him because of his mentality. I used to spend hours watching his highlight videos, his interviews… his message of mentality, hard work, being committed, and dedicated to his craft really spoke to me.”

However, time and again, Powell posts Kobe’s quotes and videos on his Instagram story. According to Powell, these posts are more than a tribute—they’re daily reminders to stay focused and turn negativity into motivation.

“I listen to a lot of interviews and quotes,” Powell said. “My favorite one is, ‘Life is too short to get bogged down and discouraged; you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep on rolling.’”

Interestingly, during his rookie season, Powell got to play against Kobe in what was Bryant’s farewell season. And that one game on December 7, 2015, was a moment Powell will never forget.