On Saturday, former Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which is in Springfield Massachusetts. On Friday, a day before the induction of the late basketball legend, his wife Vanessa and daughter Natalie 18, were given a ring and a jacket. It was presented to them at the Tip-Off Celebrations and Awards Gala in Connecticut.
Bryant will also get an individual standalone tribute which will be named after him. It will be called Kobe: A Basketball Life. Only Michael Jordan has received a similar tribute in the Hall of Fame. This space will contain memorabilia from his life. It will feature his jerseys, replicas of his rings and shoes.
A hardwood portion from the basketball court on Lower Merion High School from where he began his legendary basketball career will also be on display. One of the most recognized and memorable exhibits that will be featured is the Nike Kobe 1 sneakers he wore when he scored 81 points in January 2020. Vanessa Bryant has designed the exhibit. She and her three children visited the tribute and Natalie posted pictures of the family.
Kobe and his daughter Gianna, fondly called Gigi, lost their lives in a helicopter accident on January 26, 2020. Seven others were also tragically killed along with them in the tragic crash. The induction into the Hall of Fame was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two of his basketball rivals – Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan will also be inducted on the same day.
The Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan was chosen last month to induct Kobe Bryant and will do so at the Hall of Fame on Saturday. He spoke to ESPN about the last text exchange between him and Bryant and said that he was unable to delete the texts they exchanged.
Some of Kobe Bryant’s greatest basketball achievements:
- Leading the Los Angeles Lakers to 5 NBA championships
- Two NBA finals MVPs
- A single season MVP in 2008
- S. basketball team, two-time Olympic gold medalist in 2008 and 2012
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