Kobe Bryant has inspired millions of people through the game of basketball and one of them is none other than Joel Embiid.
Growing up in Cameroon, Embiid originally planned to play professional volleyball in Europe until he watched the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic. As Bryant won his fourth championship and first without Shaquille O’Neal, a 15-year-old Embiid wanted to play basketball now.
Since then, Embiid has established himself as the best rising star in the game today.
While Embiid is known as a troll on social media, he had a humbled and appreciative tone of meeting Bryant following his final game in Philadelphia, via The Players’ Tribune:
The most surreal moment was when Kobe was retiring, and he played his last game in Philly.