Snoop Dogg honored the late Kobe Bryant by performing a special song titled “A Tribute To Kobe” at the 2020 ESPY Awards, which were virtually staged due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The D-O-Double-G’s heartfelt homage was featured in a video showcasing highlights from Bryant’s career.
“You beat the odds by a mile, all grit, no smile/A new golden child, yeah, let’s do it Mamba Style,” Snoop raps.
The track references some of the basketball great’s most memorable moments and concludes with a declaration: Los Angeles is Bryant’s city.
Although the 2008 NBA MVP was born in Philadelphia, he entrenched himself as part of L.A. culture by playing his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Over the course of 20 seasons, Bryant helped the Lakers win five NBA championships.
Snoop has never been shy about showing his love for Bryant, including gifting the Lakers legend a 1967 Pontiac Parisienne following his retirement in 2016. The West Coast rapper has been defensive of the late hoops star too, most notably when he lashed out at Gayle King earlier this year.
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King became the target of Snoop’s wrath after asking former WNBA player Lisa Leslie about Bryant’s 2003 sexual assault case in a CBS interview following the Lakers icon’s death. The Hip Hop OG later apologized for his insult-laden rant about King.
Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 26. He left behind his wife Vanessa and three surviving children.
Listen to Snoop’s tribute above.