Dave Chappelle recently released his brand new Netflix special called "8:46" and it is filled with some hilarious bits and some personal anecdotes. Perhaps one of the more somber moments in the special is when Chappelle begins talking about Kobe Bryant who passed away earlier this year. In fact, there were some staggering coincidences when it came to Chappelle's relationship to Kobe that it made him not want to go to the Grammy's.
For those who don't know, Chappelle won a Grammy for one of his comedy specials this year. Kobe died on the same day as the awards show and because Chappelle was so close with the Lakers star, he simply didn't feel right going. Not to mention, Bryant's jersey numbers are 8 and 24, and they were already hanging in the rafters at the Staples Center. Chappelle was born on August 24th so the numbers hit home for him.
“I loved Kobe Bryant. He died the day I won a Grammy. That was why I didn’t show up at the Grammy’s, because Kobe died,” Chappelle said. “They had both of his f***ing jersey numbers hanging up — 8 and 24 — well, that’s my birthday. I cried like a baby.”
Chappelle's story is both compelling and extremely sad considering the circumstances. It seems like everyone who knew Kobe had their own stories about him and Chappelle was no different.