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Who is Kimberly Bufkin? NBA Draft star Kobe Bufkin receives flak for bizarrely stroking his mother's leg on live TV

Kobe Bufkin, 19, was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in Brooklyn as the 15th overall pick on Thursday, June 22

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: It was a big night for NBA prospect Kobe Bufkin, who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in Brooklyn as the 15th overall pick on Thursday, June 22. The 19-year-old did not shy away from expressing his emotions after the selection and reportedly shared, “It was a sigh of relief for sure, happiness, a mix of emotions, but I actually have family in Atlanta so I'm looking forward to going down there and celebrating with them.”

Kobe also stated, “I didn't work out with them (the Hawks), so it was kind of a shock, but I knew they were interested in me based on what my agents told me, but I'm glad and more than happy to go down there and compete with those guys for sure," as reported by Daily Mail. “I know they're competing for their a** off no matter what they are doing. If they are winning or losing, I know they are going to go out fighting and that's prevalent with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray leading the pack. I feel like I fit that DNA and I'm happy to go down there,” he added.

Who is Kimberly Bufkin?

The teen basketball player was accompanied by his mother Kimberly for the special night. Nothing much is known about her except that she Kobe's mother. The woman also spoke highly of her son and told ESPN, “(He has) dedicated himself to basketball. Most importantly, he’s been faithful to the lord and to the game and it has brought him this far.”

She continued, “He has played like the world is watching for the last 12 years. It’s what we stress as a family, play like the world is watching, have faith and you’ll get here,” before adding, “We’re here. Grand Rapids, Michigan, is here.”

‘That was weird af’

Though fans were happy for Kobe, they seemed shocked after what appeared like the young man rubbing his mother’s leg on live television. A Twitter user asked, “What’s Kobe Bufkin doing??” Another user tweeted, “She has to report her own son to HR 🤣.” “WTF is this dude rubbing his mom’s leg,” the third one remarked. The fourth one stated, “I saw that too. That was weird af.”

A person commented, “Watching draft with my daughter.  She's saying 'Stop! That's so weird!' Congrats Kobe in reaching 11 on the 'making everyone uncomfortable meter'.” Another one added, “Kobe Bufkin moving mad rn with his mum?”

However, there were many who celebrated Kobe’s achievement and defended him as well. A supporter shared, “Y’all are clowns man. That’s Just a son loving his mom.” The second one wrote, “Stop being a ‘lil a** boy Andy. That’s his mother in the biggest moment of their lives.” “You’re f***ing weird. That’s his mom id**t. Don’t s**t on the biggest moment on his career this far,” the third one added.