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Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm Jr. was on the Pivot Podcast where he talked about a bevy of topics before the start of the 2024 MLB season. One of those was talking about the people in sports that have impacted him the most which are former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Chisholm would call the late, great Bryant his “number one idol” as he told the story of how he met the Lakers legend briefly and would follow up with him a few days later for a meet up. However, Bryant would pass away in the helicopter crash on Jan. 26 2020 that took the lives of himself, his daughter Gianna, among others.
“Kobe [Bryant] was my number one idol, Kobe Bryant. I go to LA, I got to the Mamba Academy and this was like two days before he died, I went to the Mamba Academy and I met him right,” Chisholm said. “I wanted to ask him some questions but he said he had to go. The next day I got to the Grammy, The Roc Nation Grammy Brunch thing. That was cool and I’m so excited because the next day, Sunday, I’m suppose to go talk to Kobe, my dreams about to come true, I’m about to meet my idol, talk to my idol.”
Chisholm called Jeter after the passing of Bryant
The Marlins star would call the CEO of the team at the time in Derek Jeter while he was crying about the passing of Bryant. In that conversation, Jeter would tell Chisholm that he is “his shortstop of the future” as the two had a close relationship since then.
“The helicopter crash happens, I call Derek Jeter on the phone crying and was like, bro, I was just supposed to meet Kobe and he just died,” Chisholm said. “That’s my idol, you’ve got to step up. Exact words, to Derek Jeter. He told me I was supposed to be his shortstop of the future, my idol died, you’ve got to step up to be my idol, and from that day on, he literally treated me like his son.”
Jeter tells Chisholm he wanted him in Miami
There was no doubt that Jeter was another idol for Chisholm as both play the same position and the former being one of the most well known baseball players of all time. When Chisholm was traded to the Marlins from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jeter told the prospect that he wanted him on his team and in Miami.
“I get traded over to the Marlins 2019, middle of the season 2019,” Chisholm said. “I get to talk to Jeter and he’s like, you know I traded for you myself. This trade wouldn’t happen unless I was the one to say yes, like bro, I wanted you, you’re the only person I wanted.”
Since then, Chisholm has been the face of the franchise for the Marlins and has high expectations going into next season as he missed time last year where he got surgery for a turf toe injury. His splits were .250/.304/.457 and hit 19 home runs (a career-high), 51 runs batted in, and 22 stolen bases as the Marlins look to improve after an 84-78 record last season.
More must-reads:
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