Paul George named his new puppy Kobe ‘out of respect’ for his idol
Sure, he might’ve thrown some ageist slander his way back in February, but Paul George is, has been and forever will be an avowed and unabashed Kobe Bryant fan. The 26-year-old Palmdale, Calif., native grew up watching Kobe star for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the early 2000s, obsessing over every stepback and pull-up, idolizing the player he said this year “was my Jordan.”
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Bryant left the NBA in April after an illustrious 20-year career, but he’ll never leave the heart and mind of the Indiana Pacers superstar … especially now that PG-13 decided to pay homage to his hero with a furry four-legged salute:
“Shoutout my buddies @bullybeachouse for the amazing pitbull!” George wrote in the caption of his Instagram post. “My daughter and I love him as you can tell and I know King can’t wait to meet him as well.. Out of respect of the mamba it’s only right to name him KOBE! #Legend“
The Mamba himself might have gone another route — something J.K. Rowling-related, in all likelihood.
Reasonable people can debate whether or not naming your dog after someone is quite as rad a gift as a signed and personalized pair of kicks …
… but I’m sure Bryant appreciates the gesture from the young star whose rise to the ranks of the NBA’s elite he helped propel all the same.
If Kobe’s anything like new big brother King, the adorable new addition to the George clan ought to help the three-time All-Star continue sharpening his ball-handling skills as he looks to build upon a fantastic first season back from injury:
… provided, of course, he can play stiffer defense than his namesake managed in his later years. (I kid, I kid!)
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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