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Nick Kyrgios has paid tribute to idol Kobe Bryant by sharing a picture of himself wearing the late basketball legend's high school jersey.
Kyrgios, a basketball fan and a loyal Boston Celtics follower, grew up admiring the late Bryant, who died at the age of 41 on January 26, 2020, after a helicopter crash. The five-time NBA champion's profound impact on Kyrgios led to the latter getting a tattoo of the basketball legend on his arm.
The Aussie unveiled the tattoo in a video he posted on social media in April 2020.
"I wore his shirt the day he died at the Australian Open and cried during that day. I watch basketball every day and it is an important part of my life. I can never imitate what Kobe did, but there maybe times in my life when I try." an emotional Kyrgios said in the video.
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Recently, Kyrgios paid yet another tribute to the late Bryant. This time, he posted a picture of himself playing tennis in a Lower Merion jersey. It was at Philadelphia's Lower Merion High School where the American's basketball brilliance captured national attention.
"RIP", Kyrgios wrote on Instagram, followed by a crown emoji.
A look at Nick Kyrgios' uncertain future in tennis
Nick Kyrgios enjoyed a spectacular 2022 season, during which he reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships. There, he faced Novak Djokovic and won the first set as well. However, the Serb bounced back and ultimately defeated Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3).
During the US swing, Kyrgios also clinched the Washington Open title, winning against Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 6-3 in the final. Unfortunately, injuries ravaged the Aussie's hopes for the 2023 season, as he withdrew from the 2023 Australian Open due to a cyst in his left knee.
Eventually, the former World No. 13 underwent left knee arthroscopy, which ruled him out until the 2023 French Open. He withdrew from Roland-Garros as well after an armed robbery at his home resulted in a foot injury.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist could only manage to feature in one competitive game in 2023. This came at the Stuttgart Open, where he lost 7-5, 6-3 to Wu Yibing. Injury concerns led to his withdrawal from the 2024 Australian Open as well.
However, Kyrgios did feature in the tournament as a commentator and analyst for Eurosport. During the Australian Open, he wrote an opinion piece for The Sydney Morning Herald titled 'I'm contemplating retirement and won't be available for the Paris Olympics' where he hinted at an early exit from tennis.
"The reality is, there is a part of me that knows my time in the sport may be over. And I'm OK with that."
However, Kyrgios later backtracked on his statement during Eurosport's coverage of the Australian Open. He said, via the Guardian:
"I'm going to come back. I'm going to give it a go."
