Kobe and Kapernick show up for Osaka at the US Open

By Cale Hammond Aug 29, 2019
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Kobe and Kapernick show up for Osaka at the US Open

ByCale Hammond

Published Aug 29, 2019

NBA legend Kobe Bryant and NFL quarterback-turned-activist Colin Kapernick were spotted in Naomi Osaka’s player box during her straight-sets win over Magda Linette on Thursday.

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Osaka's boyfriend, rapper YBN Cordae was also in the star-studded box.

You might be wondering why the 18-time NBA All-Star has taken a sudden interest in the game of tennis. It turns out that Bryant and Osaka share quite the mutual respect for each other.

The world No. 1 is a long-time Bryant fan, and admires his longevity as one of the world’s best athletes.

"I have tremendous respect for those athletes that have managed not just to reach the top, but stay there for a long time… Serena Williams, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, come to mind," Osaka said in a recent interview with *Vogue*.

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Earlier this month, Bryant chatted with the two-time Grand Slam champion about her training regime as a part of his soon-to-be released tennis-themed fantasy novel titled “Legacy and the Queen". It never hurts to ask the experts.

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“It's really cool," Naomi Osaka said of Kobe Bryant and Colin Kaepernick’s support, "but honestly I really wanted to finish as fast as possible because I didn't want them to stay in the sun too long.”

Follow Cale on Twitter @Cale_Hammond.

Kobe and Kapernick show up for Osaka at the US Open

Kobe and Kapernick show up for Osaka at the US Open

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