The sports community came together on Monday to honor the life and legacy of the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi.
Bryant and his daughter, along with seven other victims, were killed in a January 26 helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
Monday’s ceremony (2/24) at Staples Center in Los Angeles was chosen because of Gigi, who wore No. 2 in youth basketball, and Bryant, who wore No. 24 in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Michael Jordan, who battled against Bryant in the NBA for many years, spoke at the ceremony and helped Bryant’s wife, Venessa, off the stage after her speech. Jordan, who was openly weeping, said he lost a “little brother” and poked fun at himself for creating a new “Crying Jordan” meme.
https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1232037969525198851?s=20
https://twitter.com/TonyClementsTC/status/1232020587658334210?s=20
UNC basketball, which features many former players who knew Bryant and his daughter, shared a video of the team remembering Bryant’s impact on their lives.
“Being of this generation,” Cole Anthony said. “Kobe Bryant was pretty much — him and [LeBron James] — those two people that we looked up to when we were younger and, even to this day, aspired to be like.”
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