Kobe Bryan Posthumously Inducted Into Hall Of Fame, With Emotional Remarks From Vanessa Bryant
LOS ANGELES (CBSLS) - Kobe Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Friday in an emotional ceremony, with remarks delivered by his widow Vanessa Bryant.
"Congratulations, baby. All of your hard work and sacrifices paid off. He once told me, 'If you're going to bet one 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 all-time great. I'm so proud of you. I love you forever and always, Kobe Bean Bryant," she said to resounding applause.
The 41-year-old Laker's legend and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash Jan. 26, 2020, along with seven other people. Bryant helped take the Lakers to five NBA championships during his career, wining two scoring titles on the way to a career 33,643 points, fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
"Kobe was one of a kind. He was special," said Bryant's widow, who was escorted to the stage by NBA great Michael Jordan.
Former players also weighed in to pay tribute.
Other former NBA stars, like Jordan, Shaquille O'Neil, Ray Allen and Allen Iverson also weighed in on Bryant's legacy, Vanessa was the emotional focal point of the ceremony.