Michael Jordan on inducting Kobe Bryant: 'I'm not going to be nervous about showing emotions'
Kobe Bryant will be posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, and Michael Jordan will be the one inducting the five-time NBA champion.
"I was thinking, at first, I might be a little somewhat nervous about it, but then I realized I'm not going to be nervous about showing emotions for someone I absolutely loved," Jordan, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan. "That's the humanistic side of me—people tend to forget I do have one."
The Chicago Bulls legend previously tearfully eulogized Bryant during his Feb. 24, 2020, public memorial service at Staples Center that doubled as a memorial for his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. Both died in a January helicopter crash alongside seven other people.
Jordan also shared with MacMullan his final text exchange with Bryant, which took place in early December 2019.
Bryant played his entire NBA career, from 1996 through the 2015-16 season, for the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in April 2016. The 18-time All-Star famously scored 60 points in his final game.
The 2020 Hall of Fame class's COVID-delayed induction ceremony, also honoring the likes of Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, will take place at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. For more information, visit the official website.
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