"Real recognize real" - Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa praises Novak Djokovic for paying tribute to her late husband with a custom '24' T-shirt at US Open

Vanessa Bryant, the wife of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, recently congratulated Novak Djokovic for winning his 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open. She also thanked the Serb for paying tribute to Kobe with a special T-shirt.

After defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final, Djokovic brought out a custom T-shirt with the words “Mamba Forever” and a picture of Kobe Bryant. The T-shirt also had the number 24 on the back, matching Kobe’s jersey number.

Vanessa shared a congratulatory post on Instagram on Monday, praising Djokovic for the tribute.

"Congratulations @djokernole #24 #MambaMentality 💪🏾💜💛👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👑🐍 Real recognize Real," Vanessa wrote.

Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna in January 2020, was a close friend and mentor to Djokovic.

The Serb spoke about the idea behind the T-shirt and how Kobe inspired him to overcome challenges and doubts in his career.

"I thought of doing this t-shirt eventually, if I get the chance to win the tournament, about seven days ago," the Serb said during the trophy ceremony. "I didn’t share it with anyone until a few days ago when I asked my people to help me out to make this shirt."

"Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality. When I was struggling with injury and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game, he was one of the people I relied on the most," he added.

In an interview after his 2023 US Open triumph, Djokovic said that he wanted to honor Kobe’s legacy and show his gratitude for his support.

"I thought 24 — it is the jersey he wore when he became a legend, of Lakers and world basketball, so I thought it could be a nice, symbolic thing to acknowledge him for all the things he has done," he said.

The 36-year-old’s US Open victory was his fourth title at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam of the year. Djokovic is now one Major away from breaking Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 titles. He will have a chance to achieve that feat at the 2024 Australian Open, where he has won 10 times before.

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Looking back at Novak Djokovic's performance at the 2023 US Open

Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 US Open

Novak Djokovic made history on Sunday as he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the 2023 US Open final to win his 24th Grand Slam title. The Serb won 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in three hours and 16 minutes of grueling tennis.

Djokovic started his campaign with a comfortable win over Alexandre Muller in the first round, dropping only five games. He then faced Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the second round, again winning in straight sets.

The third round saw Djokovic compatriot Laslo Djere, who pushed him to five sets in a thrilling encounter. Djokovic lost the first two sets but bounced back to win the next three, showing his fighting spirit and experience.

The World No. 2 then met Borna Gojo in the fourth round, beating him in straight sets.

In the quarterfinals, Djokovic faced Taylor Fritz. The American was no match for the Serb, who dominated him from start to finish and won in straight sets.

The semifinals pitted Djokovic against Ben Shelton, who had reached his first Grand Slam semifinal with a stunning win over fellow American Frances Tiafoe. The Serb prevailed in straight sets there too.