Kobe Bryant was a big fan of Bruce Lee and when it came to their mentalities, they were quite similar. Legendary rapper Ice Cube was also a big fan of Bruce Lee and he just so happened to be a good friend of Kobe Bryant. With this in mind, you can just imagine what kind of impact their deaths had on Cube. During an episode of the Getcha Popcorn Ready podcast with Terrell Owens and Matthew Hachette, Ice Cube explained what made Kobe and Lee so similar and why they were special to him.
“It’s like losing a superhero. I remember having a superhero like Bruce Lee and finding out he… you know. I put Kobe in that category in a way,” Cube said. “So it’s a great loss to our courage in a way. People like Kobe help all of us, summons the spirit in us, you know what I mean? To be the best.”
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
In his own life, Cube admitted that he likes to try and replicate that Mamba Mentality in a bid to always make sure that he is putting maximum effort into whatever he does. Cube even complimented Owens for being the exact same way.
“It takes courage to go there and challenge yourself because that’s the fight nobody knows but you” Cube said. “To challenge yourself, to go further, get better, and be better in that, you’re good but not good enough, keep going. This is what I love about athletes like, with that spirit that Kobe, I give T.O. that spirit too.”
This weekend, Kobe will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and it will be a truly emotional time for all of his fans. We’re sure Cube will be watching and reminiscing about Kobe’s incredible career as a Laker.