Jay-Z Reflects On His Final Conversation With Kobe Bryant

Still mourning the devastating death of Kobe Bryant, Jay-Z reflected on some of his final conversations with the basketball superstar about the joy it brought him to watch his daughter, Gianna, play hoops.

“Kobe was a guy that looked up to me, and we’ve hung out multiple times,” Hov said while speaking at Columbia University earlier this week. “He was last at my house on New Year’s, and he was just in the greatest space that I’ve seen him in. One of the last things he said to me was, ‘You’ve got to see Gianna play basketball.’ And that was one of the most hurtful things, because he was so proud.”

With the look Bryant gave Jay when talking about his Mambacita, the Roc Nation boss knew Gianna was destined for big things. “I looked and him and said, ‘Oh, she’s going to be the best female basketball player in the world,'” he told Kobe. “He was just so proud of what he said. So that’s really a tough one, and my wife and I have taken that really tough. Just a great human being and was in a great space in his life.”

Bryant and Gianna were among the nine killed in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., late last month. Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, shared clips on Wednesday from a ceremony at Gianna’s school, who retired her No. 2 basketball jersey.

Jay and Beyoncé were regulars at Staples Center for games throughout the Lakers legend’s 20-year career. Hov was in attendance for Bryant’s final 60-point game in April 2016. He also namedropped Kobe during The Blueprint 2 cut “Some People Hate.”

Watch the video below.