24 March 2016, Frankston, Melbourne, Australia
For Kobe Bryant: 'Love your teammates, love your family, and outwork everyone else in the gym', by Jimmy Fallon - 2020
27 January 2020, Los Angeles, California, USA
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. Kobe was such a life force, so strong and creative and inspired, that in my head I thought that he was going to live forever. I met Kobe when he was 17 and I was 21. He was a rookie on the Lakers, and I was just starting out in the comedy scene in LA. We were at a party, and we didn't know anyone at the party, so we just started talking and I said like, "Hey, what do you do?" He goes, "I play basketball." I go, "Where?" And he goes, "For the Lakers." I go, "Wow." He goes, "What do you do?" I go, "I'm a stand up comic." We just got along and we hit it off, started talking.
He was telling me he was into poetry, and I met his sister, she was there. And so then the guy that was having the party said, "Hey guys, who wants to make a beer run?" And Kobe wasn't drinking, he was 17. So he goes, "I'll do it." He goes, "Jimmy, you want to come?" So I go, "Okay." So I get in the car, it's me and Kobe Bryant, and he's brand new in LA. And me too, I didn't know LA at all. And we drive down Sunset Boulevard to this place called Pink Dot. It looked like a 7-Eleven. I thought it was a 7-Eleven. You pulled in and... But it wasn't a 7-Eleven.
Anyway, so I go in and I open the door and it's locked and the guy goes, "Sorry, I can't sell you anything." And I go, "We just want to get some beer right there." And he goes, "Yeah, I can't do that." And I go, "But just real quick, we know what it is. It's just there." And he goes, "Yeah, that's not how the way this place works. We're delivery only, we're not allowed to sell things." And I go, "Okay." And then the Kobe takes out his ID and he puts it up against the glass and he goes, "I'm a Laker."
And the guy opened the door, and we walked out with five cases of beer and we saved the party. So we saved the party. We say goodnight. And, of course, Kobe went on to become a legend. Five NBA titles, two Olympic gold medals, 18 All-Star appearances, one of the most brilliant and most respected players in NBA history. And when we'd run into each other over the years, we'd laugh about that night that we first met.
We'd laugh at all the good things that had happened since, and we'd laugh about 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 Kobe had four daughters, and I have two daughters. And today he and one of his girls are gone. 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 honour 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. To Vanessa and all those affected by this tragedy, we love you and we'll always be there for all of you.
Kobe, when we meet again, we're going on a beer run.