Tributes to Kobe Bryant keep pouring in from the world over, as millions continue to grieve over the basketball icon’s death in a helicopter crash last week.One of the greatest basketball players ever, Bryant enjoyed a 20-year career in the NBA – all with the Los Angeles Lakers – that, over time, saw his influence reach far beyond the sport he played. Turns out that influence, perhaps unknowingly, had an effect on one of the most storied franchises in video games.Yusuke Naora, the art director for severalFinal Fantasygames, posted his own tribute to Bryant on his Twitter account Saturday. The tweet features a portrait of the basketball superstar in Naora’s style, along with a personal story of Naora’s love for basketball and how Bryant and the Lakers' signature purple and gold colors had an impact on the art design forFinal Fantasy X.
Naora wrote that he got hooked on the NBA and Michael Jordan, the leading star of those dominant Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990s, then started following Bryant’s career in Los Angeles. He went on to say that during the development ofFinal Fantasy X, he was lost when trying to determine the color scheme for the game’s airship,the Fahrenheit, but remembered the Lakers' colors and “took in the sky.”
“A few years ago, at an LA launch event [for Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster],” Naora wrote. “I was rejoiced to tell fans about this episode.”
Naora worked at Square Enix for 24 years, and had a hand in the art design for 19Final Fantasyprojects. He was the art director forFinal Fantasy VII, VIII, X, andXV, and contributed to a number of other mainline entries and spinoff titles, including theCompilation of Final Fantasy VII.ÂHe left the company as a full-time employee in Sept. 2016, two months out fromXV’slaunch
Naora’s basketball fandom is no secret.His Twitter header and profile pictureare of him at Los Angeles' Staples Center duringa game last season, holding up a sign he created of current Lakers star LeBron James. Hispinned tweetis also of him presenting a portrait to Dennis Rodman, another star of the 90s Bulls, in April 2016.
“Watching the Bulls, I became so fond of playing basketball that I was so happy to be able to pass on the picture!“Naora wrote.
There have been other tributes to Bryant within the video game sphere.NBA 2K20’sdevelopment team made an update to show a memorial image of Bryant when the game starts, and many of its players have been wearing yellow Lakers gear in his honor while in “The Neighborhood” online hub. AFallout 76player also builta basketball-themed shrinein its PC version, which has been visited by others to pay their respects.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and nine others died in the crashlast Sundayin Calabasas, California. The group was on its way to Gianna’s basketball game that morning. Bryant was 41.
His wife, Vanessa, made herfirst public commentssince the crash on Wednesday, and the Lakersplayed their first gamesince receiving the news Friday night. The team held an emotional pregame ceremony to honor their fallen star.
