Hawks’ Trae Young flashes 24 in honor of Kobe Bryant after hitting logo 3-point dagger against Clippers

Trae Young never shared an NBA floor with Kobe Bryant, but the two still built a relationship early in Young’s career. The two met in large part because Young was the favorite player of Bryant’s daughter, Gianna. Kobe attended three NBA games during the 2019-20 season, two of which were Young.

This made Bryant’s death in January 2020 even more emotional for Young. Kobe was close to several NBA players, but Young also had to mourn the loss of Gianna. On the day of their helicopter crash, Young stepped out wearing a No.8 jersey – Bryant’s old number – rather than his typical No.11. Tuesday was the first anniversary of Bryant’s death, and Young once again found a way to honor the Legend of the Laker.

Young’s Hawks led the Clippers by eight with about two minutes left in the game when they lined up near the Atlanta logo. Rustling. Atlanta’s lead increased to 11 on a shot that turned out to be the clincher, and Young posted numbers two and four, “24”, Bryant’s other uniform number.

The fact that the time is right against the Clippers, Bryant’s rival and the team he almost signed with in 2004, makes it a lot more satisfying. Tributes ranging from teammates like Pau Gasol to friends like Kyrie Irving have been common in recent days, but Young’s dedication to Bryant’s legacy is particularly inspiring. They may never have played against each other, but Kobe still managed to make enough of an impact on his career and life to garner such a tribute.