Kobe Bryant’s close friend Tracy McGrady has revealed that Bryant wanted to die young and be immortalized.
McGrady, who became close friends with Bryant when they were youngsters, told ESPN that Bryant used to tell his friends that he wanted to die young and be immortalized.
McGrady told ESPN: “I’m devastated, just like everybody else.
I know this sounds crazy, but he spoke this, he used to say all the time “I wanna die young, I wanna be immortalized and have my career be better than Michael Jordan and I want to die young”.”
“And I just thought he was so crazy for saying that.
And when I got the news yesterday I just could not believe it.”
However, Bryant made these comments when he was young and didn’t have children.
McGrady revealed that after having children, his mindset changed.
McGrady also praised the NBA legend for helping him through his first seasons as a player.
He said that they bonded instantly after they met each other and he used to lean on him because he was like a brother.
McGrady said: “I used to stay at his house.
I just remember the minute I walked through those doors, it was an instant bond.
My first two three seasons I probably wouldn’t have made it through those seasons if it was not for Kobe because he came in a year before me.”
“I used to call and lean on him for advice all the time and he would give me that advice because we were brothers.”
Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash on Sunday alongside seven people after the Sikorsky S-76 chopper flew into a mountain in Calabasas, California.
Talking about Gianna, McGrady said that watching Gianna play was just like watching a young Kobe.
He said that she was special and he is devastated after the tragic incident.
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