Amid US Open Triumph, Novak Djokovic’s Heartwarming Kobe Bryant Tribute Comforts Vanessa and Shaquille O’Neal’s Lesser Known Son

After a stunning 2nd week, the 2023 US Open proved to be a historic tournament. From Coco Gauff becoming the first American teenager since Serena Williams to win the Women’s singles title to Novak Djokovic’s continued excellence, the Grand Slam left fans with a lot of fond memories. And right at the end, it created another memorable moment. After overcoming Daniil Medvedev in the Final, 36-year-old Novak Djokovic was able to claim his record-extending 24 Grand Slam Singles title. Keeping the significance of the number in mind, the Serbian icon pulled off a Kobe Bryant tribute that earned him a lot of plaudits.

The tribute touched the heart of Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant and she shared her appreciation on Instagram. Along with her, Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shaqir, also highlighted this memorable moment.

Novak Djokovic’s stunning Kobe Bryant tribute melts hearts

After Novak Djokovic’s win, he stepped away from the court for a moment and changed his T-shirt. The new apparel he wore carried a picture of himself standing alongside Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. The words “Mamba Mentality” encircled their faces and the backside of the T-shirt bore the No. 24, the same number that the Black Mamba adorned throughout his many years with the NBA.

Djokovic’s heartfelt tribute caught the attention of many people associated with the world of basketball. Kobe’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, took to her Instagram account to highlight the moment with her 15.4 Million followers. Along with a couple of pictures she took from the match, Vanessa attached a caption to the post that read “Congratulations @djokernole #24 #MambaMentality” and “Real recognize Real”.

Bleacher Report’s post about the same caught the attention of Shaquille O’Neal’s 20-year-old son Shaqir as well. While he did not attach any caption to the same, fans were to understand the significance of the moment that Shaqir was highlighting.

During an interview on-court, the tennis great revealed that the idea came to his mind after realizing that his 24 Grand Slam title was within his grasp. Therefore, the iconic number gave him a chance to reconnect his ties with his old friend.

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“I thought of doing this t-shirt eventually, if I get the chance to win the tournament, about seven days ago,” said Djokovic during the trophy ceremony. The 36-year-old credited Kobe Bryant for being a close friend, constantly chatting about the ‘mentality’ that a winner needs to possess.

“Mamba Mentality” helped Djokovic to win a crucial French Open as well

This isn’t the first time that the 24x Grand Slam champion has paid tribute to the Black Mamba. Back in June, Novak Djokovic was able to secure his third French Open title by defeating Casper Ruud in the final. During an interview with NBC Sports, the tennis icon was asked about the thing that was going on in his mind during the crucial game.

Djokovic highlighted the teachings that had been left behind for him by the 5x NBA champion. Citing Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality, Djokovic credited the thought process of informing him of what’s going to happen “before it actually happens”. Keeping his faith in that ‘Mental power’, Djokovic aims to project his thoughts and carry forward his own future.

Vanessa shared that moment on her Instagram story. She must have probably remembered how her husband used to refer to the tennis star as being amongst the “Holy trinity of tennis”.

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