Vanessa Bryant Honors Kobe Bryant at Hall Of Fame Ceremony

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame was held on May 15th, and it honored Kobe Bryant by recognizing his unmatched talents and inducting him into the Hall Of Fame this year. While the investigation of the firefighters at Bryant’s crash site is bringing some bad light forward, the Hall Of Fame induction contrasts it by honoring the extraordinary genius of Kobe Bryant.

He was presented the honor by Hall Of Famer Michael Jordan, who also inducted him into the Hall Of Fame. However, it were Bryant’s wife and daughter, Vanessa and Natalia Bryant, who gave a touching tribute to the late-Basketball legend at the ceremony. Vanessa accepted the honor on his behalf by saying:

To all those who helped him get here, I thank you on his behalf. Gigi would be so proud. He was intelligent, eloquent and gifted at many things … I know he would thank everyone who helped get him here, including those who doubted him.

Vanessa said that Kobe was “larger than life“ and chose not to take “shortcuts when it came to basketball.” She stated that Bryant always pushed himself despite having injuries, such has being IV administered while suffering from food poisoning or going in the court to play with a broken finger.

One of the reasons he played through injury was because he remembered sitting in the nosebleeds to watch his favorite player play. He could recall the car ride and being lucky enough to have a seat. He didn’t want to disappoint his fans, especially those sitting in the 300th row who saved up to see him play. What about the fans that saved up to watch me play just once?’ If he could help it, he would play every minute of every game. He loved you all so much.

Kobe’s daughter, Natalia Bryant, also honored him for his Hall Of Fame induction by wearing his jacket and ring. The 18-year old model was photographed at the Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala wearing the legend’s jacket and ring alongside Vanessa Bryant.

While there’s been many instances where Vanessa & Natalia Bryant have talked about Kobe & Gianna Bryant, the Hall Of Fame event marked itself to be the most optimistic point for the Bryants. Rest in peace.