Actor Chadwick Boseman passed away on Friday at the age of 43 due to colon cancer. Many NBA fans heard the heartbreaking news and reacted by posting photos of Boseman with Kobe Bryant. These tributes also reminded many that the two men had hoped to work together before their deaths.
Boseman actually provided this information during an episode of HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted. The episode aired in March following Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26. The actor explained that he wasn’t “best friends” with Bryant, but they had four conversations together. In their time together, Boseman learned so much information about Bryant.
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“The first time I saw him was before he won the Oscar,” Boseman said during the episode. “It was crazy because we were sitting in the party talking about philosophy and poetry — that’s who he was. He was like, ‘This is what I’m into right now as an artist, not as a basketball player.’
“We started talking about it, I’m like ‘Yo we should do something together,’” Boseman continued. “He was applying the same type of focus that he’s applied to basketball, as a producer or director, whatever. He looked at me and I saw his eyes go in like he was meditating. He looked up to me and he said, ‘Two years.’ It’s like he saw the whole thing unfold and he was like, ‘I need two years.’ And I walked away and I said to my fiancé, ‘Yo, he is who they say he is.’”
Following Bryant’s death, Boseman also took part in a special tribute to the late NBA icon. He joined Kenny Smith, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and other prominent figures and recreated the memorable photos from Bryant’s career. Boseman posed with his arms outstretched and his head tilted back while Common laid down on a couch.
Ultimately, the two men did not get the opportunity to work together following the meeting at the 2018 Academy Awards. Bryant died in a helicopter crash just shy of the two-year timeline that he gave Boseman. The actor reacted by posting a tribute on Twitter.
“I’m heartbroken. Shocked. Husband, Father, Strategist, Philosopher-Poet, Warrior-Athlete, Filmmaker…your focus is magnetic, Kobe. My love goes out to you and your family,” Boseman tweeted on Jan. 26.
Months later, the iconic actor passed away after facing colon cancer for four years. His family confirmed the news and prompted tributes on social media. Bryant’s eldest daughter, Natalia, posted a photo of the two men together and wrote, “Rest in peace Wakanda forever.”
