Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shareef, debuted two tattoos honoring the legendary basketball star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter tragically passed away in the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that left seven others dead. Shareef first shared photos of the two tattoos Tuesday on his Instagram stories, according to a report published Wednesday by Entertainment Tonight.
Shareef O’Neal got tattoos honoring Kobe and Gigi ????
(via @SSJreef) pic.twitter.com/1ZWryw0wO7
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 5, 2020
One of the tattoos features Bryant holding a basketball in the air along with his two jersey numbers, “8” and “24.” A drawing of Gianna’s Mamba basketball jersey was also part of the tattoo.
The other tattoo of “Mamba Mentality” refers to Bryant’s motto, which refers to his nickname and encourages others to try to always be the best version of themselves. (RELATED: 911 Calls Detail Just How Bad Weather Was Before Kobe Bryant Fatal Helicopter Crash)
Shareef and Bryant were close and he referred to the NBA legend as “uncle.” On the day of the crash, Shareef shared that Bryant had reached out to him earlier in the morning.
“You good fam?” read a message Bryant had sent to Shareef on Instagram.
Los Angeles Lakers players LeBron James and Anthony Davis also got tattoos honoring Bryant’s legacy. LeBron’s tattoo features a black mamba, Bryant’s numbers “8” and “24,” two roses and “Mamba 4 Life.”
I love seeing the different ways people are finding to honor the legacy of Bryant. He clearly meant so much to so many people. To be able to remember him forever with something permanent like a tattoo is something special.