Naomi Osaka shares mirror selfie repping iconic $7.1 billion-worth NBA team with legendary late basketball star’s jersey

Naomi Osaka was recently seen representing a $7.1 billion NBA team as she donned their legendary late basketball star's jersey. The Japanese star seems to have found her rhythm on the court again, as she has made it to her first tour-level semifinals since 2022.

Osaka is currently competing at the 2025 ABS Classic in Auckland. The seventh seed has come into the season with guns blazing making it to the semifinals in her first run itself. She ousted Lina Glushko and Julia Grabher in straight sets, following which she came back from a set down to eliminate Hailey Baptiste (2)6-7, 6-1, 6-2 to reach her first semifinals since the 2022 Miami Open.

Naomi Osaka snapped a mirror selfie donning the $7.1 billion worth, according to Forbes, the LA Lakers jersey of the legendary Kobe Bryant. She struck a 'V' pose, seemingly indicating her victorious outing. The Japanese shared the picture on her Instagram story on January 3.

Via Osaka's INSTAGRAM.

The 27-year-old talked about how important Kobe Bryant was in her life in an interview with GQ in 2021.

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Naomi Osaka revealed the best advice she received from Kobe Bryant

Naomi Osaka with Nick Kyrgios at a Los Angeles Lakers Game in 2023 - Source: Getty

In an interview with GQ Magazine in 2021, Naomi Osaka said she would call Kobe Bryant, who was like an elder brother to her, whenever she wanted any advice. Mentioning the NBA star's impact, the Japanse said:

"I would say he was like the older brother/uncle that I wish I always had. He was someone that, no matter how busy he was, for some reason he always picked up the phone when I called him. And I remember once, after the [2019] U.S. Open, I called him after one of my matches and he was just hanging out with his youngest daughter. He’s someone that gave me advice."

When Naomi Osaka had difficulty handling the media, she called up Kobe Bryant for advice. Recalling how the 'Black Mamba of basketball' taught her how to embrace 'being the lion' and shut out the noise, Osaka said:

"I remember he told me, “Imagine that you’re a lion and you’re hunting your prey. So you see a deer off in the distance. And if you watch Animal Planet, you always see the lions looking at their prey, and they have gnats around their eyes. Think of the media and the press as gnats, and you’re the lion, so never get distracted. And you never see the lion trying to swat away the flies or anything like that.”

Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, another huge basketball and Kobe Bryant fan, donned the iconic Byrant jerseys during an exhibition mixed doubles match at the US Open this year to pay tribute to the legendary basketball star.