Like the rest of the world, Jimmy Fallon is feeling the loss of Kobe Bryant. On Monday night, the Late Night host delivered a heartfelt tribute to Kobe Bryant, recalling a beer run he made with the fallen NBA legend the first time they met.
Fallon posted the tribute video on Twitter with the caption, "I will remember you 24/8.”
"The world was heartbroken yesterday by a helicopter accident in Los Angeles that claimed the lives of nine people, including that of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna," Fallon says in the tribute video.
He then goes onto describe meeting a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant at a party when he was 21. Both were new to the Los Angeles scene and "hit it off" at the party. Fallon says the two drove to a store that was locked and the man behind the door told the pair that he couldn't sell them beer because the store only delivered. Bryant put his ID up to the window and told the worker, "I'm a Laker," Fallon recalled fondly. As a result, they were able to get five cases and Kobe "saved the party," Fallon said.
As he reflected on the 41-year-old's legacy and the friendship that had endured, Fallon started choking up. "We'd laugh at all the good things that had happened since," he said as he fought back tears. "And we'd laugh at how much fun it was to raise kids and all the stupid mistakes we made trying to figure out how to be good dads…and today he and one of his girls are gone."
He continued, "But I think I knew Kobe enough to know that he rose to any challenge by digging deeper and getting back to work. So, let's honor Kobe, Gianna and the other lives that were lost yesterday by following his example. Love your family, love your teammates and outwork everyone else in the gym," he said. Fallon ends by saying, "Kobe, when we meet again we're going on a beer run.”