Yasiel Puig posts emotional tribute to ‘Kobe, my friend’

Yasiel Puig posts emotional tribute to Kobe Bryant.

Yasiel Puig took to Twitter on Monday to post a lengthy emotional tribute to his friend, Kobe Bryant on the day the world was celebrating his life. Just one day after what would have been his 41st birthday the sports world came together to celebrate the man who transcended not just basketball, but sports as a whole.

Puig detailed a moment when he was still with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that put Puig on the map. In the tweet he attached a video of Bryant with his wife Vanessa watching Puig play in Los Angeles.

"“Kobe, my friend. This video fills me with so much sadness since your energy and your smile are deeply missed. At the same time, I feel so honored to have been the person that brought you joy for this moment in time. I think a lot about this day and how after I rounded third, we made eye contact. You pumped your arms [at] me as if to acknowledge my strength and the power I had to make a difference that day, even if it was short-lived. I pumped my arms back at you in gratitude for sharing that moment. That’s who you were, always ready and willing to share the spotlight and to cheer on a fellow athlete in their accomplishments. I remember the words we shared and understand now many of the things you were trying to teach me. You lived your life fully, and you made a difference in every life you touched. That is what I take with me today and I will honor that part of you in me for the rest of my life in your name. I am lucky for many reasons and one of them is having known you and the blessing on that day to be the reason you smiled. I miss you so much.”"

We’re not crying, you’re crying.

The moment recorded was when Puig hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning of Game Four of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox.

Bryant died earlier this year and Puig would go on to play for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians. He was close to signing with the Atlanta Braves for the 2020 season but contracted COVID-19 and the signing did not happen.