Lou Williams has a new EP on the way this week, but before it drops he's shared a touching tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. Titled after Kobe's jersey number, "24" sees Williams explaining what Kobe meant to him as both a friend and a former teammate.

Taken from his new six-song EP Syx Piece, dropping Feb. 14, the song also sees Williams reflect on how Kobe encouraged him to always strive to be the best. "I just wanted to write an open letter to a dear friend of mine," he told Complex about the song. "Mamba mentality I'm just tryna' be great," he starts the track. "Look at my wrist you see a trophy/I'm just tryna' be like Kobe." The track features contributions from Landstrip Chip and Mitchelle'l.

Following Kobe's death on Jan. 26, Williams made it clear just how much Kobe meant to him. "Been crying on and off," he tweeted following the news. "Have a random thought about things we spoke about then laugh. Cry again. Then I tell myself tighten up, mamba was tough. Wipe my eyes. Cry again."

Now with the Los Angeles Clippers, Williams was named NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for the third time in 2019. His EP's title is a tribute to both his son, who's also named Syx, and his perennial status as the NBA's top 6th man.

Image via Lou Williams

Listen to "24" above.