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Lil Wayne paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant by performing his 2009 song “Kobe Bryant” at the BET Awards on Sunday night.
You can see the performance below:
Trae Young intervened in the performance:
Bring young @ @TheTraeYoung
Every hooper knows this song … RIP Kobe🖤 https://t.co/s2nP1x5MKB
Bryant explained the song’s backstory in 2019 during a podcast appearance by Alex Rodriguez and Big Cat. The Corp, saying that Lil Wayne contacted him after Game 6 of the 2009 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets, when Bryant scored 35 points and added 10 assists to close the series.
Bryant said Lil Wayne told him that the performance inspired him.
“[Wayne] It was like, ‘I’m going to make a song. Okay, can I make a song? “Bryant (h / t Insanul Ahmed of Genius.com) said.” I thought, ‘Very well.’ I just thought he was joking or whatever. Before the Boston Celtics series, he sent me the song and I said, ‘Oh, you’re serious.’ OK, that’s amazing. “
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