"You’ve got to step up to be my idol" - Jazz Chisholm Jr. recalls looking up to Yankees icon Derek Jeter after Kobe Bryant's death
Miami Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. looked up to Kobe Bryant and Derek Jeter as his idol. In a conversation on the Pivot podcast, Chisholm Jr. touched on a lot of topics, including one where he talked about how the late Bryant and Jeter impacted him the most.
Chisholm called the Black Mamba his top idol, sharing a story on how he met the Lakers legend for a brief while before planning another meet-up. However, before that could happen, Bryant died on Jan. 26, 2020, due to a helicopter crash.
“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.”
After the horrific crash, which also took the lives of Bryant's daughter Gianna and other members on the helicopter, Jazz Chisholm Jr. talked to then Marlins CEO Derek Jeter.
Jeter encouraged him, saying that he's a future shortstop, and since then, the duo has shared a good mentor-mentee relationship.
“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.”
Derek Jeter had a big role in trading Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Marlins
When Chisholm was dealt from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Marlins, Jeter expressed his desire for him to be a part of his squad 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.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. represents Marlins with high expectations placed on him by the clubhouse. He missed some time last year due to surgery for a turf toe injury. Despite limited appearance, he still compiled a slash line of .250/.304/.457.
A big season awaits, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is ready for it.