Kobe Bryant turned this little kid's nightmare into a dream come true

Kobe Bryant insists that he's been keeping busy since he retired from the NBA, but let's face it. Now that he no longer has to worry about chasing championships, Bryant has plenty of time on his hands. So if he can make a young fan's day by taking a few minutes to say hello, why not? 

Last week, Bryant made several public appearances, including a stop to help introduce Paul George as the cover athlete for NBA 2K17. Unfortunately for young Ayden -- who's apparently a huge Bryant fan -- Kobe didn't stay in any one place very long. So when Ayden and his family missed out on seeing the Black Mamba, he broke down in tears:

Thanks to the magic of social media, though, Ayden's sorrow didn't last very long. His mother tagged Vanessa Bryant in her Instagram video, and Vanessa quickly responded to say that her husband had seen the post and was ready to make it up to the little one.

The result was pure, adorable joy, as Ayden met up with Bryant earlier this week and practiced his jumper:

Today's generation of NBA fans might lose their minds over Stephen Curry, but there's at least one young fan who still recognizes the legends. We're kind of jealous, Ayden. Congratulations on having a dream come true.

(Thanks to Bleacher Report for sharing.)