Dwyane Wade shares emotional 3-word tribute to Kobe Bryant on his 5th Death Anniversary

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade joined the sports world to mark the fifth anniversary of Kobe Bryant's tragic death. He took to Instagram to post a three-word tribute for the Black Mamba as he remembered the legend.

“Miss you 24!”

Dwyane Wade/Instagram

The tribute was related to an emotional post made by fan page, "wade_legacy."

Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. The sports world is remembering the LA Lakers legend and his daughter with heartfelt tributes.

Kobe's former team also posted a touching message on social media alongside a photo of Kobe and Gianna.

"Always in our hearts"

Kobe's impact transcended men’s basketball as it also touched women's basketball. He was a vocal advocate and mentor to many young players. WNBA stars like LA Sparks' Dearica Hamby and New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu have spoken about the significant influence he had on their careers.

Outside basketball, Italian tennis player and 2025 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner wore Kobe Bryant shoes during the Australian Open trophy ceremony.

Additionally, the Kobe & Gianna Bryant mural project has installed over 460 murals worldwide, including 343 in Southern California, to honor their memory and legacy.

His time with the Lakers saw him establish the Mamba mentality which has inspired lots of other players. He retired as a five-time NBA champion, an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.

Additionally, he was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

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Dwyane Wade speaks on the difference between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James' Lakers

Dwyane Wade appeared on a July 20, 2024, episode of "7PM in Brooklyn" with Carmelo Anthony. He compared the LA Lakers of Kobe Bryant with former Heat teammate LeBron James.

"Kobe has this mystique about him that he was just like, he just worked so hard all the time and Bron don't have that," Dwyane Wade said. "But y'all have never seen Bron work. I've never seen nobody work like him neither. It's just different how they work."

While both players have their different personalities and styles, Kobe's time with the Lakers was a time of glory as he won all his five league titles with the Purple and Gold.

LeBron James, on the other hand, has established his legacy as a four-time champion with multiple teams.