Remember Christopher Wallace, the man whom the world knew as Biggie Smalls? Just 24, ruling the industry, and then one sudden day he is no more. Well, think of the mother who had to bear this pain all these years. For the love of her son, she picked up from where he left, only to leave everything back, all alone. At the age of 78, Voletta Wallace succumbed to natural causes under hospice care. Her son isn’t there to mourn her loss, but she isn’t alone either. Baron Davis, the former Warriors star, mourned the loss of Voletta Wallace. Guess how? He penned down a heartfelt message as a tribute to her.

Many a time, Baron Davis has expressed his love for Biggie Smalls’ music, so the message for the departed soul is no surprise. But how are they connected? It is well known that Davis promotes diversity and upliftment of the African-American community. In his words, his Black Santa project aims to ‘celebrate diversity, the joy of giving and the magic of good’. Well, the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation too walks on a similar line. An organization that provides educational resources and opportunities to underprivileged youth. Also, her initiative, the B.I.G. (Books Instead of Guns) Night Out, helped change the trajectory of many children’s lives. She was indeed a pure soul and her departure has hit Davis.

In his Instagram story, Baron Davis wrote, “Amazing Woman. Had the honor to have some conversations…truly a gift from God.” As a big Biggie fan, Davis has always respected Voletta for keeping his music legacy alive. And again, it is no secret that Wallace was a well-known name in the NBA circle. And even though Davis was a fan of the young rapper, Biggie did have a friend within the NBA community. Shaquille O’Neal, the 52-year-old legend, was just 22 when he became friends with one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Back in 1994, Shaq met Christopher Wallace for the first time. Both were on the path to stardom. One a dominating Orlando Magic’s center and another a breakthrough rap artist. Friendship bloomed and music collaboration happened. Shaq recalls the regret he felt when he heard of Biggie’s murder. That night, they were supposed to attend the Soul Train Music Awards after-party together. Only to be left with the shocking news. The aftermath? Brooklyn was in an uproar. After all, Biggie Smalls represented the town.

Brooklyn’s culture: Christopher Wallace AKA Biggie Smalls

Even though The Notorious B.I.G. was killed a long ago, the Brooklyn Nets honored the 20 dead anniversary of their hometown landmark by hosting the ‘Biggie Night’. First, they raised the rapper’s banner to the Barclays Center rafters while quoting some of Biggie’s iconic lyrics. In addition, they also hold up jersey number 72 signifying his birth year. The legend’s music was played as a tribute throughout the whole game between the Nets and the Knicks. Wait, Knicks again? Yes, the origin of the song ‘I Got A Story to Tell’.

Surprisingly, Voletta Wallace, who hadn’t attended any NBA game till then, came to grace the event. Seeing the dedication put into the event, she said, “This is very, very surreal. Very surreal. Had he been alive, he would have been elated.” It was a celebration of life, the times Biggie brought Brooklyn to the limelight. Safe to say, Mama Wallace approved of it.

As they say, spreading love is the Brooklyn way. The Nets offered condolences to the Wallace family upon hearing the news of Voletta’s death. Like Baron Davis, on an Instagram post, they captioned, “We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Voletta Wallace, mother of Christopher ‘The Notorious B.I.G’ Wallace. Sending our love to the family, friends, and community. She will be dearly missed.” The mother and son have left an indelible mark on the hearts of the Brooklyn folks. Can they get another Wallace? Only time will tell.