NBC LA Channel 4 News Reporter Rick Montanez interviews Akeem Mair, Wesley Mair, and Rudy Becerra at Kobe Bryant’s Memorial

The whole world was shocked when news of Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant’s untimely death hit the internet. The unfortunate incident not only took the life of Kobe Bryant but also cut short the lives of eight other people, including Bryant’s daughter Gianna. Akeem Mair, Wesley Mair, and Rudy Becerra are three best friends and Kobe Bryant superfans, and they were spending time together when they found out about the tragic accident. They were also among the last people who were allowed to visit the Kobe Bryant memorial site at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. After noticing the friend group’s deep connection to Bryant, NBC LA Channel 4 news reporter Rick Montanez asked to interview them and to share their story with the world.

Friends Akeem Mair, Wesley Mair, and Rudy Becerra grew up in families passionate about basketball and avid supporters of the Lakers. The three friends grew up watching Kobe Bryant play and saw him grow from a rookie in the NBA to one of the biggest basketball legends. “I still remember the final game he played at the Staples Center against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016,” Akeem Mair said, “He dropped sixty points in that game! And it was a beautiful end to his professional gaming career. When he gave his final words of ‘Mamba out,’ it genuinely echoed throughout the world.”

Akeem Mair can still perfectly recall the moment he discovered his idol’s accident. “Wesley and I were at Rudy’s apartment in Huntington Beach. TMZ broke the news, and as we were scrambling and trying to check our phones, Rudy saw the article first and showed it to us,” Akeem shared, “At first, I could not believe it. I thought he was joking around. But it was true, and I was gutted. It felt like we had lost a loved one. News of Kobe’s death hit us even harder after we learned that his daughter Gianna was also a victim of the crash.”

Like many around the United States and worldwide, Akeem Mair wanted to pay tribute to the late basketball superstar. The Staples Center in Los Angeles was one of the many memorial sites that popped up following Byrant’s death. “I convinced Wesely and Rudy that we should go to the Staples Center and pay our respects. So we went on the last day,” Akeem explained. Upon getting there, they were incredibly moved by the outpour of love and support for Kobe and all the crash victims. Kobe fans have gathered en masse to grieve the loss of a legend and superstar. “There were so many people,” Akeem recalled, “People were wearing Kobe’s jersey. They had flowers, balloons, basketballs, photos, shoes and other memorabilia. Everyone was just there to honor him and his memory.”

Akeem Mair, Wesley Mair, and Rudy Becerra must have stood out from the hundreds of people at the memorial at the Staples Center. After the three wrote their dedications to Kobe on the massive white walls, they were approached by Rick Montanez, a reporter from NBC LA Channel 4, back in 2020. “He interviewed each of us, asking us how we were feeling and what our thoughts and sentiments were,” Akeem said. The three friends wasted no time letting Rick Montanez know how important Kobe Bryant was to their lives. 

I remember saying that “I was glad I came to the memorial,” Rudy Becerra said, “I thought it was important that the people of LA and all Kobe fans were allowed to grieve.” On the other hand, Wesley chose to focus on the impact Kobe Bryant had on his fans. “He was so loved,” Wesley said, “His professionalism, skills, and kindness will live forever.” Akeem Mair talked to Rick Montanez about Kobe’s impact on his life, saying, “I want Vanessa Bryant to know that her husband touched so many hearts. I may not know him personally, but he is my hero.”

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Iyanla’s Fix My Life Special Farewell Episode Part 2 ft. Akeem Mair

 

I’ve always been a huge fan of Iyanla and her show, “Fix My Life!” The way she helped so many people overcome the obstacles in their life. One episode that really touched me was Iyanla’s work with Terrell Owens on episode 208 “Fix My Football Star Life.”  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze5vQBs2Fys&t=7s

From the very beginning, Iyanla said to Terrell, “Why are you back here now? From your heart, from your mouth.” He wanted to mention the media but the media had nothing to do with why he’s right here at this moment. So I asked myself, “why am I here right now in my life?” That question stopped me from blaming everything outside of me. The answer is simple, “I am right here right now because of me. That’s it!” That gave me power! Because if I blame anything outside of me, I unconsciously give away all of my power in my life! Iyanla said, “There’s a man down on the field, and that would be you boo!” She’s right and there’s nobody else. 

But the one lesson that stuck home to me was when Iyanla told Terrell, “Terrell has racked up a lot of penalties in his life, the destruction of your good name and reputation. And if he wants to heal, he must understand that they are his doing. Making excuses for why your life looks the way it looks, and these are penalties. And each penalty cost you what? Cost you yardage. Keeps you from scoring!” Wow, what a message!! I wondered how many points and yardage have I cost myself? For these past two years I stopped blaming and started holding myself accountable. Started taking more responsibility and leadership of my own life.

On March 8th, Bunim Murray Tv Productions sent out an opportunity calling for all super fans of Fix My Life about how Iyanla wants to hear from you for her final season. The network was planning something special for her goodbye and I wanted to be apart of it so I registered. I told the producers how much Iyanla’s words to Terrell Owens affected me. 

On March 22nd, Jessica Hubert sent me the contracts and instructions on a brief 15 seconds clip to Introduce myself and a brief message of my favorite episode and why OR how the series has helped me heal. I was super excited and immediately knew which episode was my favorite! I sent Jessica my self tape but it was actually 20 seconds long. So I emailed her, “hi Jess! Man that 15 second one was tough. lol let me know if you like it or want me to shoot it again.” She emailed me back right away and said, “no it looks great!! Thank you!!” 

In the self tape I sent I said, “ Hi Iyanla my name is Akeem Mair and my favorite episode is the Terrell Owens episode. Because you taught him that all the penalties in his life is his responsibility. Even though his parents are the root of his sorrow, he cannot blame his parents for his penalties. He has to own it and change it, and set a different example for his kids.” 

On April 29th, Rita Brezovay emailed me an Appearance and material release form. That’s when I knew they really loved what I had to say  and that I am going to appear on the final episode. I was excited and told my mom who was also a super fan of the show. 

On May 22nd, the episode aired and my mom sent me a clip of the show from the show. She said, “I can’t believe it son, you were seen millions of people worldwide and on one of my favorite shows, I’m so proud of you!” Oprah Is also seen in the episode thanking Iyanla and how much she loved her and will miss her. To this day I am so grateful for being apart of it. Thank you so much Bunim Murray Tv Productions, Iyanla and Oprah! I’m going to miss Fix My Life but thank you so much for changing my life! 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2fTQWF8qtN0

#akeemmair #iyanlavanzant #oprah #oprahwinfrey #own #fixmylife #iyanlafixmylife #ownnetwork

Nintendo Switch Apex Legends ft. Akeem Mair and Wesley Mair

Apex Legends, a video hero battle royale game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, announced a casting call for two brothers to appear in their commercial last December. Akeem received an email announcing the details, and seeing that real-life brothers were needed, it immediately gave him the idea to convince his brother to audition with him. 

The opportunity instantly made him recall memories of him and his brother, Wesley Mair, playing Super Nintendo when they were kids and how they would absolutely suit the roles. Without batting an eyelash, Akeem excitedly got in touch with his agent Sarah Angeli from Commercial Talent Agency and asked her to sign him up, along with his brother, for an audition.

In his mind, Akeem only wanted to grab the opportunity. If Apex Legends does not like him and his brother, he has decided to just move forward and be on the lookout for the next potential project. Much to his surprise, he received word from the Apex Legends team accepting his interest to audition together with his brother. Akeem’s joy at the moment he received the confirmation was priceless to say the least.

Without wasting any time, he immediately got in touch with his brother as they needed to submit their audition the next day no later than 10 in the morning. The night before the audition, Akeem barely slept a wink. The next day, however, he was up by 8 AM and rushed to his brother’s place to set up the studio light and green backdrop. Both Akeem and Wesley agreed to play the Apex Legends video game while delivering the script on camera, believing that this approach would catch the attention of their potential employers.

As it turns out, the Apex Legends production team loved the two’s ideas. They finally got a call a few days later to come in the next day to meet the director Shelley Lewis, who found their audition so original and authentic. The day they met Lewis, Akeem and Wesley were made to perform the script all over again, this time with actual console controllers and headsets. 

Both Lewis and producer Nathaniel Greene could not stop laughing at the brothers’ natural chemistry. After their first try, they were asked to do another scenario. This time, Lewis asks them to pretend to be bickering back and forth, which became a natural execution for Akeem and Wesley as they always fight over video games.

In January this year, Akeem and Wesley did the commercial shoot for Apex Legends, a first for them as brothers. If there is anything that Akeem learned from the experience, it is that sometimes the best experiences in life are those that involve family. His once-in-a-lifetime experience with Wesley and Apex Legends is definitely one for the books.

#akeem mair#wesley mair#Akeem#wesley#mair#nintendo#nintendo switch#tmz#instadaily#instagood#instalike#actor#famous#akeemmair #apexlegends #apex #commercial