On Saturday, three of the all-time greats from the NBA’s modern era will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, as Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant are enshrined in Springfield, along with Tamika Catchings, Kim Mulkey, Rudy Tomjanovich, and others. This particular Hall of Fame class has long been anticipated, but the ceremony will carry a special weight to it as an opportunity to once again honor the legacy of Bryant, who died in a tragic helicopter crash last year.
Michael Jordan will serve as the current Hall of Famer inducting Bryant into the Hall, a fitting choice after we learned of their closeness at Bryant’s memorial service and Jordan recently revealed his final conversation with Kobe in which the two texted about family and Bryant’s coaching (with Kobe being incredibly on-brand and bragging about how they were blowing a team out). Along with Jordan, Vanessa Bryant will also speak at the ceremony, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, which will surely be an emotional moment for all.
Vanessa Bryant will speak in honor of Kobe Bryant during Kobe’s Naismith Hall of Fame @Hoophall induction on Saturday. Presenters accompany inductees as they deliver their speeches. Michael Jordan will join Vanessa Bryant on stage.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 12, 2021
The delayed ceremony to honor these three legends is going to be a special one and having Vanessa Bryant, along with Jordan, on hand to speak on Kobe’s legacy on and off the court will be tremendous. The enshrinement ceremony will be broadcast live on ESPN from 5:30 to 8 p.m. ET.