Clubs everywhere are looking for a way to recreate matchday atmosphere. The teams manage for their players to feel the breath of their fans and some, like the Galatasaray have put images of their fans in the stands of the Turk Telekom Arena. Among them is one that is quite striking, that of Kobe Bryant.
The late, great Kobe Bryant visited the Turkish giants in 2011 and they clearly haven’t forgotten.
Galatasaray made the best of the unusual situations by filling the seats with cutouts of fans and some of the celebrated figures in the club’s history.
On Sunday, the Turkish football club paid tribute to the former Lakers star by placing a Kobe Bryant cutout in the stands during their 3-3 draw against Gaziantep FK.
The Kobe Bryant cutout was placed among the many in the stands. The cutout of a smiling Kobe Bryant donning the Galatasaray jersey was quite a sight for fans of the club as well as those of the basketball legend.
Your memory will live forever. #MambaForever pic.twitter.com/yRhkOlhkv0
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) June 20, 2020
NBA legend Kobe Bryant passed away earlier this year after being involved in a tragic helicopter crash. Kobe, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in the accident which reportedly occurred due to foggy conditions.
While several months have passed since the Los Angeles Lakers legend died, the sporting community is still paying their respects to Bryant and his illustrious career.
Today, it breaks our hearts to remember one of the fondest memories in our club history.
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) February 24, 2020
But we will always be grateful and honored to have one of the legends of sports history as our guest and supporter. #KobeFarewell pic.twitter.com/rNPtqgkKcO
The Kobe Bryant cutout is from 2011 when the NBA Hall of Famer visited Galatasaray’s Turk Telekom Stadium in 2011. Bryant, who grew up in Italy and was a massive fan of Serie A side AC Milan, visited Turkish football club’s stadium and facility and even interacted with several club players.
The 41-year-old even took part in a friendly penalty shoot out with some of the players. The Turkish football club was also among the numerous clubs from around the club to pay a tribute to the legend.
