Michael Jordan to honor Kobe Bryant at Basketball Hall of Fame

Kobe Bryant left one of the greatest legacies on and off the court. That means it’s only fitting that Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player of all time, will be honoring Bryant into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Bryant and Jordan’s Connection

Growing up, Kobe idolized Jordan’s game which was apparent to anyone who watched the two play. Once Kobe got into the league, he tried to take in as much knowledge from Jordan as he could.

According to Jordan, Kobe would call him his ‘big brother.”

When Bryant died in early 2020, it became public the deep connection he and Jordan had. It also became known that Kobe did just about anything to be like the player Jordan and their relationship became more documented when Jordan spoke at Bryant’s memorial service.

“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died,” Jordan said.

Michael Jordan will be the presenter for Kobe Bryant's induction into the Hall of Fame. Kobe called Jordan his "big brother" and said Jordan told him to call him anytime. Kobe did that regularly. "When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died,” Jordan said. pic.twitter.com/KDuVP9zh8M

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 15, 2021

Other Presenters and Rest of the Class

Outside of Bryant, this is a loaded Hall of Fame Class. The class features other NBA greats such as Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan and WNBA great Tamika Catchings.

It’s also noteworthy that Michael Jordan will be presenting another inductee into the hall. He will also introduce Baylor Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kim Mulkey making him the only presenter introducing multiple inductees.

Check out the full list of inductees and presenters.

Michael Jordan will present Kobe Bryant in the 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame @Hoophall induction ceremony on May 15. Full list of inductees and presenters: pic.twitter.com/iD5r6EIxHF

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2021

The Ceremony

The ceremony will take place May 15 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. As a reminder, this is the 2020 Hall of Fame Class. The Ceremony was originally scheduled for October 2020 but got pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the first time Mohegan Sun is hosting the event as it is usually held in Springfield, Massachusetts.

With the inductees, presenters and everyone involved, this Hall of Fame ceremony will certainly be a memorable one.