Israel Adesanya admits that he doesn’t follow basketball, but that doesn’t mean that Kobe Bryant hasn’t left an impact on him, too.
UFC middleweight champion Adesanya, who’s preparing for his upcoming headliner vs. Yoel Romero at UFC 248, recently commented on the tragic death of Bryant.
Five-time NBA champion Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday morning, along with his daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers. He was 41.
Adesanya says he’s humbled to have drawn comparisons to Bryant and his mentality, as he discussed the impact that the basketball legend has had on him.
“I don’t follow basketball, I just follow greatness, and just watching the way he played the game, watching the way he conducted himself, watching the way people spoke about him,” Adesanya said. “Give an example – JC, who’s worked with him in the past, the way she always spoke highly of him, … she was like, ‘You and Kobe are so similar; you guys would get along.’ I mean, I took it with a grain of salt, but at the same time, I felt cool that she would even put me in that same bracket because she’s worked so closely with him.”
“So, like I said, I don’t follow basketball, I just follow greatness, and I’m following suit. His ‘Mamba Mentality’ is worldwide. It’s something that’s always going to be around and live forever. When I finish this (bottle) and I shoot it in the trash can, what name am I going to yell? ‘Kobe.’ That’s never going to die now, and it’s going to hit different now because of the way things are but yeah, it’ll never die.
“Legends never die. It’ll carry on forever.”
Check out more in the video above.
Israel Adesanya pays tribute to Kobe Bryant: 'I don't follow basketball, I just follow greatness'