Michael Jordan has shared the last text message he received from Kobe Bryant before his tragic death.
The NBA legend is set to induct Bryant posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. He sat down with ESPN to discuss his late friend in a new interview.
Vanessa Bryant recently delivered this speech in memory of her husband and daughter:Jordan the details of his final conversation with Bryant over text, which was dated December 8, 2020. In it, the pair briefly discussed Jordan's brand of Cincoro Tequila, as well as their families, before Bryant ended the conversation writing:
"Hey, coach, I'm sitting on the bench right now, and we're blowing this team out. 45-8."
Discussing the text, Jordan stated: "I just love that text because it shows Kobe's competitive nature."
Turning to the subject of the memorial, Jordan stated that he wasn't worried about getting emotional at the ceremony, and added that it was Kobe's widow, Vanessa, who had asked him to stand for Kobe in his place.
Jordan stated that he'd recently texted Vanessa, stating: "I told her, 'Look, I know this is a tough time. I'm always here if you need me.' She answered back: 'I would love it if you stood up for Kobe at the Hall of Fame'."
He added: "It's like standing up for a family member. He paid me the highest respect by trying to emulate certain things I did. I can only repay that by showing my support and admiration for a guy who I felt was one of the greatest to ever play the game."
Bryant died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. Eight other people died in the accident, one of whom was his own 14-year-old daughter, Gianna.
Kobe and Gigi were reportedly on their way to the Camarillo Airport in Ventura County for a basketball game at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks when the horror accident took place.
Other victims included John Altobelli, a baseball coach at Orange Coast College, his wife Keri and their teenage daughter Alyssa, basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton Chester, and pilot Ara Zobayan.
This comes only a few months after Vanessa Bryant sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department over graphic cellphone photos that at least eight deputies allegedly shared of her deceased husband and daughter in the wake of the crash.
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