Jonah Hill shares touching Instagram post about his late brother and Kobe Bryant

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Jonah Hill has shared a touching Instagram post revealing an encounter he once had with Kobe Bryant alongside his late brother, who died in 2017.

The Oscar-nominated actor posted a photo showing him sat courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game next to the NBA star, who died along with his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others in a helicopter crash outside Calabasas, California last weekend.

In the photo, Hill can be seen sat next to Bryant mid-game.

“I’m sitting next to my brother and he’s taking this,” Hill wrote, referencing music manager Jordan Feldstein, who died from a pulmonary embolism.

“It was the night we both met Kobe and he was so nice to us,” Hill wrote, adding that they were “buzzing with excitement to meet our hero”.

View this post on Instagram

This picture became a funny internet thing years back and it always made me laugh when I’d see memes of it . I used to love “on purpose, very awkward photos” whenever I was around someone I respected and this is about as comically awkward as it gets. Ah, your early 20s. It’s a dumb bit but I really liked it at the time. I hesitate to post this as it’s usually connected to humor. But for me this photo represents a LOT more. I’m sitting next to my brother and he’s taking this. It was the night we both met Kobe and he was so nice to us. So funny, so amazing and so kind (in the middle of a game!). My brother and I grew up worshiping the Lakers and because of my job we got to sit next to Kobe and the whole team! I have lived a privileged life. Truly. We were literally buzzing with excitement to meet our hero and it’s one of my favorite memories ever. It’s my favorite memory with my brother . I’m sitting between Kobe and my brother and now they’re both gone. I have been staring at this photo for days in disbelief and sadness and joy. It’s my favorite picture and I think it represents for me, all of the hard and amazing things in life and how fleeting they are. But their fleeting nature doesn’t make them any less beautiful. I’ve been thinking a lot about saying Rest In Peace and what that means. But I don’t think Kobe or my brother are resting. I think they’re hustling up there. Working hard and getting shit done. Cuz that’s what they do. All my love to the ones here left behind. Take care of each other and love each other . That’s the lesson I’ve learned . ❤️

A post shared by Jonah Hill (@jonahhill) on Jan 29, 2020 at 10:59am PST

He continued: “I’m sitting between Kobe and my brother and now they’re both gone. I have been staring at this photo for days in disbelief and sadness and joy.

“It’s my favourite picture and I think it represents for me, all of the hard and amazing things in life and how fleeting they are. But their fleeting nature doesn’t make them any less beautiful.”

Hill told his followers to “take care of and love each other”.

“I don’t think Kobe or my brother are resting,” he wrote. “I think they’re hustling up there.”

Hill has one other sibling, the Lady Bird and Booksmart actor Beanie Feldstein.

Another life-long Lakers fan, Jack Nicholson, paid tribute to Bryant following his death.

Bryant – who won five championships – was one of the NBA’s most popular players.