Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby shared a message for the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant on Friday. Crosby, who has a tattoo of the LA Lakers icon alongside Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan on his abdomen, has never hidden his admiration for the five-time NBA champion.
Ahead of the Raiders’ clash with the Indianapolis Colts, Crosby sent a message on X to remember Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
“Rip Kobe Bean. 🐍” Crosby tweeted.
This isn’t the first time Maxx Crosby has mentioned Kobe Bryant on social media. The Eastern Michigan alum embraced his Mamba Mentality in 2024 after helping the Raiders upset the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
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In the wake of that win, Crosby shared a picture of Bryant silencing the crowd while playing for Team USA. Months before that, he expressed his desire to stay and win with the Raiders for his entire career, mirroring what Bryant and Jordan did.
“The guys that inspired me are the Kobes and the Jordans,” Crosby said on the Jim Rome Show. “The guys that stayed at the same place and won in the same place. No offense to LeBron [James] and those dudes. I won’t give them some heat, but took the easy road traveled. That’s not the way I look at it…I’m going to be a Raider for life.”
Maxx Crosby picked Kobe Bryant over LeBron James in GOAT debate
During a conversation with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller on their “The OGs” show in August 2025, Maxx Crosby talked about his preference for Kobe Bryant over LeBron James in the GOAT debate. Crosby went with Jordan as the best of the best, and then picked Bryant.
“My GOAT list, I’m taking Kobe over LeBron. I think LeBron, like, I respect his greatness. He’s in the top three, no question,” Crosby said. “But if it really comes down to it, in my opinion, you got Game 7 on the line. I’m taking MJ, and I’m taking Kobe if I want to win a title. That’s just my opinion.”
This is a polarizing topic for many people, but Crosby didn’t hesitate to defend his choice. Bryant made a strong impact on fans and athletes around the world, and the Raiders’ defensive anchor wasn’t an exception.