Michael Jordan to Present Kobe Bryant During Hall of Fame Induction
Michael Jordan will represent Kobe Bryant at his Hall of Fame introduction, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Twitter on Thursday afternoon.
Bryant, one of the greatest players ever himself, is known for emulating his game after Jordan, who many believe to be the greatest player of all time. After Bryant's tragic passing in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gigi in January of 2020, Jordan spoke at the funeral and shed tears during the speech.
"I admired him because his passion," Jordan said of Bryant at the funeral. "You rarely see someone who is looking and trying to improve each and every day and not just in sports, but as a parent, as a husband, I am inspired by what he's done and what he's shared with Vanessa, with his kids."
Jordan and Bryant got to play each other eight times while Jordan was at the tail end of his career and Bryant at the beginning of his career. Ironically enough, Bryant had the upper hand with his teams going 5-3 in their head-to-head matchups.
"Kobe gave every last ounce of himself to whatever he was doing," Jordan added on that sad day.
The ceremony will take place on May 15th, and Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are some of the other players that will get inducted.
"When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died," Jordan said.
In 64 games against the Pacers, Jordan went 39-25, while Bryant went 20-14 against the Pacers in 34 games during his respective career.
