While Snoop Dogg might be sad about his Laker tattoo when they aren't playing well, there is a second part to it that he will never regret. Underneath the image of the Larry O'Brien trophy, along Snoop's inner wrist, are the initials "KB," for his friend Kobe Bryant. In his Instagram video showing off his tattoo the day after the Lakers won the NBA Championship in 2020 (via People), Snoop highlighted the tribute saying "As you see, tat is done. KB on the bottom. Kobe Bryant."
Kobe had died in a helicopter crash nine months before, in January 2020, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others. Five months later, Snoop was part of a tribute to the late Laker great at the ESPYs, which were held virtually that year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. While a video of Kobe played behind him, Snoop rapped, "You beat the odds by a mile, all grit, no smile/A new golden child, yeah, let's do it Mamba Style."
Snoop explained to Ellen DeGeneres on her show (via the NME) what Kobe meant to him, and everyone. "The younger generation of basketball players all look up to him. The younger generation rappers all look up to him. Even a rapper like myself – who was older than him – I looked up to him because he showed me ways on how to be a better person, a better father, a better man, you know, going from that to this. He was just a great leader and a great role model, and we going to miss him dearly."
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