Vanessa Bryant took Michael Jordan’s hand and walked down from the stage, a familiar chant breaking out throughout the arena as she made her way back to her seat.
“Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!” the crowd shouted.
With that, he was officially a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“I used to
always avoid praising my husband in public because I felt like he got enough
praise from his fans around the world and someone had to bring him back to
reality,” Vanessa Bryant said. “Right now, I’m sure he’s laughing in heaven
because I’m about to praise him in public for his accomplishments on one of the
most public stages. I can see him now, arms folded, with a huge grin saying,
‘Isn’t this some shit?’ He’s still winning.”
Bryant died in January 2020 in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter Gianna and seven others. Much of Vanessa Bryant’s speech concentrated on his relationship with his family, particularly his four daughters.
“Thank you for being the best husband and father
you could possibly be. Thank you for growing and learning from your own
mistakes,” she said. “Thank you for always trying to be better. Thank you for
never giving up on us. Thank you for all of your hard work. Thank you for our
family. Thank you for our daughters: Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri. Thank
you for working so tirelessly to provide for us and for giving us the most
amazing life together. Thank you for waking up at 4am to train, for making it home
to kiss me good morning and for dropping our girls off at school only to go to
practice, come home and pick up our girls from school whenever you could.
“Thank you
for never missing a birthday, a dance recital, a school awards show,
show-and-tell or any games our daughters played in if your schedule permitted.
Thank you for putting your love for our family first. Thank you for bringing so
much joy to our lives and joy to people around the world. Thank you for
inspiring us to be better than we were the day before. Thank you for teaching
me, and all of us, to put someone else’s joy before our own.
“Thank you for being so selfless and loving with a
heart of gold. Thank you for never taking yourself too seriously. Thank you for
your sense of humor. Thank you for your wit. Thank you for never telling me no
and always letting me have my way, most of the time. Thank you for being
patient and easygoing. Thank you for letting me burst your bubble every chance
I got. Thank you for graciously taking all my harsh comebacks. Thank you for
dishing them back.”
Vanessa Bryant ended her speech by congratulating
her husband. “All of your hard work and sacrifice has paid off. You once told
me, if you’re going to bet on someone, bet on yourself. I’m glad you bet on
yourself, you overachiever. You did it. You’re in the Hall of Fame now. You’re
a true champ.
“You’re not just an MVP. You’re an all-time great.
I’m so proud of you. I love you forever and always, Kobe. Bean. Bryant.”
