Jazz Chisholm reveals he was to meet Kobe Bryant on day of Bryant's death

Kobe Bryant’s death sent shockwaves through the sporting community and larger society as a whole.

It was jarring news for many, so much so that several people remember exactly where they were when they found out about it.

The same is true for Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm, who has a heartfelt recollection of Bryant’s death. For Chisholm, the news hit incredibly close to home.

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“Kobe was my number one idol,” Chisholm told Ryan Clark on “The Pivot.”

“I go to L.A. I go to the Mamba Academy, and this was like two days before he died. I went into the Mamba Academy and I met him. And I wanted to ask him some questions, but he said he had to go. And the next day I go to the Roc Nation Grammy brunch thing. That was cool and then, like I’m so excited because the next day, Sunday I’m supposed to go and talk to Kobe. It’s like, okay, my dream is about to come true, I’m about meet my idol, I’m about to talk to my idol.”

But Chisholm never got to spend that quality time he so desperately wanted with Bryant.

“The helicopter crash happens,” Chisholm said. “… I call [then-Marlins CEO] Derek Jeter on the phone, crying. I call Derek Jeter, and I’m like ‘bro, I was just supposed to meet Kobe. And he just died. That’s my idol, you gotta step up.’ Exact words, to Derek Jeter.

“That’s exactly what I told him, cause he told me that I’m supposed to be his shortstop of the future. I called him after my idol died, and I said ‘you gotta step up to be my idol.’ And from that day on, he literally treated me like his son.”

Chisholm’s first at-bat with Miami came in September 2020, nine months after Bryant’s death. He was named the team’s starting second baseman in 2021 and quickly ascended to stardom. By 2022, he was an All-Star, and in 2023, he was named cover athlete of MLB The Show 23.

Jeter left the Marlins in 2022, but according to Chisholm, his impact on the young star is much greater than his former role as CEO. The pair share similar playing styles on the field, but the bond runs deeper than the diamond.

And Kobe Bryant’s death played a major part in that.