Kobe Bryant paid tribute to MLK on Instagram just days before his death

Peruse the Instagram page of the late, great Kobe Bryant and you’ll notice a few things: The love he had for his wife and daughters, and just how thoughtful he was in several facets of life.

For example, in the last post that went up before Bryant’s untimely death late last month, he wrote, “Keep growing the game and charting the path for the next,” tagging @kingjames, better known as LeBron James.

In the post before that one, Bryant gave thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr., saying, “Thank you for THE dream. #mlk”

Of course, if you look at the date, it was no coincidence.

Bryant posted the sentiment on Jan. 20, which marks the federal holiday on which we celebrate and honor the life of MLK.

Still, we thought this was worth noticing, especially seeing as February marks Black History Month.

This wasn’t the only time Bryant has commented on the icon that was Civil Rights leader MLK.

When asked about King’s life and legacy during an interview with journalist Jemele Hill, Bryant spoke about what he had learned, saying the following:

“Patience. Empathy. Understanding. Those are the three things that come to mind. It’s hard in certain times not to act impulsively. But his trust in the human spirit and his patience with people in saying, ‘No, this is the right thing to do. This is how we’ll go about it.' And the determination to stick with that, and believe that the human spirit will eventually triumph, are the things that inspire me the most.”

Bryant was one of nine people who died in the January Los Angeles-area helicopter crash, which also claimed the life of his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Bryant was 41 years old. King was 39 when he was assassinated in 1968.