Saquon Barkley wows NFL fans sporting Kobe Bryant 'Mamba' earrings - "Those are clean asf"

Saquon Barkley is known for his explosive plays, effortlessly maneuvering his way past defenders by rushing past or even leaping over them. He also has an impeccable fashion style when they arrive at the stadium before games.

During Thursday's game against the Washington Commanders, keen-eyed fans noticed that the Philadelphia Eagles star running back was wearing "Mamba" earrings inspired by the late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, who was born in "The City of Brotherly Love":

Fans were in awe at the tribute:

"Those are clean asf."

More of it can be seen below:

"Those are harddd," one marveled.

"Saquon always got fye drip," another praised.

"He better not lose with Mamba earrings on," another hoped.

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Saquon Barkley's admiration of Kobe Bryant, explained

Even though he was born in The Bronx section of New York City and spent his first six seasons in the nation's largest market, he still considers himself a Pennsylvanian first and foremost, having spent his formative years in that state.

And that involved getting to know its most famous sporting names, like Kobe Bryant. After the NBA superstar died in a helicopter crash in California in January 2020, the running back told the New York Post:

“Big inspiration to me. Unfortunately I never got to meet him, but he had a big impact on me and the type of player I hopefully continue to be. I love everything he is about: The Mamba Mentality.

“It’s been amazing how everyone has responded and the impact that he had – the impact on kids. I said on my video, ‘I hope one day I can even have half the impact you have on people.’”

In a later interview by ESPN with various NFL figures, he said that if he met his idol, he would thank him:

"The thing that ignited my love for Kobe was his passion. You could see the passion in his face, when he would bite his jersey, when he hit the game-winning shot, and that stare he just gives to the stadium.

"Every morning you would shoot fadeaways at the trash can and yell 'Kobe', and that's kind of all where it started for me."

Barkley also wore Bryant's 2000 NBA Finals jacket at the NFL Honors, further cementing his reverence for the hoops icon.