Kobe Bryant charges Raptors' DeRozan with inspiring the next generation

When DeMar DeRozan decided to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors last off-season, the 27-year-old touted Kobe Bryant’s legacy with the Lakers as a driving factor to stay north of the border.

Once again, the All-Star guard is drawing inspiration from his hero.

Coming out of the infamous streets of Compton, California, DeRozan fought against the odds to make his NBA dreams come true. The Raptors superstar drew motivation from watching Bryant’s play with the Lakers, using the future Hall of Famer’s perseverance to fuel his own pursuit of greatness. In an effort to promote his new “Compton” AD shoe, DeRozan used the moment to share some more praise for The Black Mamba.

DeRozan has never been shy to attribute his motivation to Bryant, but this time the praise didn’t go unnoticed. Bryant responded to DeRozan by charging the Raptors All-Star with inspiring the next crop of young ballers.

It seems the Black Mamba is still inspiring, even in his new role as an analyst for ESPN.