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Osaka chats with role model Kobe Bryant

ByJordaan Sanford

Published Aug 19, 2019

Naomi Osaka had the opportunity to hit the court with five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant. The NBA star chatted with the two-time Grand Slam champion about her training regime as a part of his soon-to-be released "Legacy and the Queen" fictional book.

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"In sport, I have tremendous respect for those athletes that have managed not just to reach the top, but stay there for a long time… Serena Williams, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, come to mind," Osaka stated in a recent interview with Vogue.

The book's storyline is about a young girl who finds her magic on the tennis court against all odds. Bryant's book will be released on September 3 during this year's US Open. Osaka was given a copy from the Academy Award–winning storyteller last week.

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With the US Open just days away, the reining champion has some odds to face just like Bryant's fictional character "Legacy." Osaka was forced to retire from her quarterfinal match in Cincinnati due to a knee injury and will only have a few days to recover before starting her title defense.

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The US Open begins on August 26.