Naomi Osaka is well known for her accomplishments on the tennis court. The four-time Grand Slam champion has always been an avid follower of other sports champions, looking up to them for inspiration. Osaka recently revealed the wonderful advice she got from one such sporting legend.
Naomi Osaka has championed many setbacks in her career and mental health was one of those big ones for her. She made waves in the sporting world when she took a break due to mental health issues. Her brave decision paved the way for other athletes who were also struggling with it.
Osaka recently made an appearance in an episode of Mountaintop Conversations By Saysh’s podcast. During the episode, she revealed the advice she got from NBA legend Kobe Bryant. She said, “I was lucky enough to interact with Kobe before he passed. He was always saying stuff about passing it down to the next generation.”
Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a tragic accident in 2020. Bryant, his daughter, and seven other passengers had boarded a helicopter at the Orange-John Wayne County Airport in California. The aircraft, which belonged to Bryant, crashed in the Calabasas, killing all passengers onboard.
Naomi has been away from tennis for a few months now, due to pregnancy. She gave birth to a baby girl a few weeks ago and plans to return to the game in 2024, eyeing the Australian Open.
Naomi Osaka shares the regret she holds to date
Osaka and Kobe were good friends and his death hit her hard. Bryant was her mentor and the grief that the news of his death brought was unimaginable. Kobe was an inspirational figure and fans were devasted by the news.
In the Netflix documentary Naomi Osaka, there is a tearful video recording of Naomi. It was recorded when she learned of Kobe’s death in 2020. She elucidated how amazing Kobe was and how he touched the hearts of so many people. Osaka also added how she and other fans of his have taken to wearing Bryant’s jersey in memory.
Bryant and Osaka met in 2019, and their friendship made a lasting impression on her. She went on to reveal the one regret she had, for not sending him the text she wanted to before his death.
I wore this jersey every day after my matches. I truly think it gave me strength. Always 💛💜 pic.twitter.com/R1pTUCaCgq
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) September 13, 2020
“We’re having all these talks and I’m not even doing what we’re talking about. So it’s like I’m just gonna text him again, like, ‘How do you heal with this situation?’” says Naomi.
“And then I didn’t text him that ‘cause I didn’t wanna feel like a loser, and now I’ll never have the chance to talk to him again. I don’t know, like wow,” she added (via The Independent).
Osaka and Bryant’s friendship was one of great respect and mutual respect. It has been three years since that tragic day in 2020 and Bryant’s absence can still be felt.