Michael Jordan will be ushering Lakers legend Kobe Bryant posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Saturday.
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Jordan was the darling of the sporting world when Kobe Bryant made his entry onto the big stages. Bryant grew up idolizing Jordan and modeling his game after his fashion, and every basketball fan can spot the eery similarities between them.
The legacies of Kobe and MJ will forever be entwined. Mentor and mentee, tutor and pupil, big bro-lil bro – whichever way you look at their dynamic, you can instantly spot the affection between the two.
Kobe was the model of consistency, dedication, determination and competitive spirit in much the same fashion as MJ. This was what gave MJ such a great connection with the Black Mamba. Mike knew that Kobe would put in the same work and work in the same tireless fashion as himself.
Michael Jordan opens up about his role in Kobe Bryant’s Hall of Fame induction
Michael Jordan recently sat down with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan for a conversation regarding the legacy of Kobe Bryant. Among the many topics discussed was the subject of Jordan’s speech at Kobe’s farewell at Staples Center last year.
At the time, Mike was unable to contain his tears, generating a new ‘Crying Jordan’ moment for NBA Twitter. His Airness says that he’ll allow himself to be vulnerable in much the same fashion this time as well:
“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. That’s the humanistic side of me. People tend to forget I do have one.”
Given how much Kobe means to him, Mike will probably be unable to hold his tears back yet again. We all know a basketball fan who will be in tears this weekend, because Kobe Bryant was like a family member to many of us.
