Clippers’ Lou Williams Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant with Song ‘24’

Josh Martin, Feb 24, 2020
Posted in Features

On Monday, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the seven other victims from last month’s helicopter crash in Calabasas, California were memorialized in a moving ceremony at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Christina Aguilera sang, Alicia Keys played piano, and Jimmy Kimmel, Vanessa Bryant, Diana Taurasi, Sabrina Ionescu, Geno Auriemma, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal all offered remembrances in front of a packed house of Los Angeles Lakers fans, celebrities, legendary athletes and mourners alike.

In the weeks between the tragic accident and the “Celebration of Life,” Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams penned and recorded a track to honor the Black Mamba and his daughter. The song, entitled “24,” appears on his new EP, Syx Piece, the title of which reflects both his young son’s name and Lou’s own renown as a three-time Sixth Man Award winner.

In the song, the 33-year-old reflects on his reaction to the news of Kobe’s passing and his time as the Mamba’s teammate during the 2015-16 NBA season—the five-time champion’s final professional campaign.

Yeah, I’m sleeping through a bad dream

I woke up feeling the same thing

You kept me focused, locked in

Even on a bad team.

Fadeaway, I lean left, told me that’s me.

Confident, but from you

That boosted my self-esteem.

Lou raps about the Kobe he knew—not just the ruthless competitor, but also the generous friend.

Damn, Mamba

Attack, conquer, words you would mumble

Called assassin, but to the masses

Nothin’ but humble

I had your number, but never used it

Didn’t wanna bother.

I remember that charter

Coming from Nevada

Pass me that bottle

Asked what I was drinking

I said tequila.

Toasted, said drink up

Nothing but love

Daps and hugs

Shared between us.

In between verses, Lou talks candidly about his personal struggles with grief in the wake of Kobe’s passing.

Honestly, man

I’m having a hard time dealing with this shit.

I was just trying to spill it out on this, you know?

Of course, Lou gets into his perspective of Kobe’s last game, which saw the Lakers legend score 60 points on 50 shots to beat the Utah Jazz.

I got 100 stories

Majority can’t be exposed

Not ‘cause they’re wrong

But the memories

They just mine to hold.

Thinkin’ the last game

Last time I got to see you go

Asked me and Metta to play

And we had told you no.

Knew what you was about to do

We wanted to watch it, too

Went for a 60 in your city

Then dropped the mic, wooh.

Lou also spends some bars considering his fatherhood to his two daughters in relation to Kobe and Gigi, who both perished on the way to a tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park, California on the last Sunday in January.

Watch you grooming your daughters,

Especially Gigi and her Mamba team

Heard the news she was on there with you

Was hurt, my daughter text me and told me

Man, my heart was broke

Rest in peace all parties

And rest in peace, the GOAT

Legends never die, Kobe

You gave us all hope.

Lou’s Clippers will be competing with the Lakers for Western Conference supremacy in the weeks and months to come. But like everyone in the NBA, these two teams will spend what remains of the 2019-20 season (and beyond) keeping the Mamba’s legacy alive.

Josh Martin is the Editorial Director of CloseUp360. He previously covered the NBA for Bleacher Report and USA Today Sports Media Group, and has written for Yahoo! Sports and Complex. He is also the co-host of the Hollywood Hoops podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.