Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant was inducted posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday part of a star-studded group that also included Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
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Bryant was inducted as part of the Class of 2020, almost 16 months after he and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash along with seven others in southern California. Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, took the podium Saturday to speak movingly about his love for basketball, his family, his teammates and his fans.
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“You did it. You are in the Hall of Fame now. You are a true champion, not just an MVP. You are an all-time great,” Vanessa said.
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The delayed enshrinement stretched over two days at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, with Vanessa Bryant and Kobe’s oldest daughter, Natalia, accepting Bryant’s Hall of Fame jacket and ring on Friday night.
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Bryant and the others were voted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 class, but the formal induction ceremony was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “There will never be anyone like Kobe,” Vanessa said. “Kobe was one of a kind. He was special. He was humble - off the court - but bigger than life.”
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Vanessa was helped to the stage by NBA legend Michael Jordan, who acted as a presenter for Kobe and three-time NCAA champion coach Kim Mulkey. “He and Gigi deserved to be here to witness this. Gigi would have been so proud of her dad getting into the Hall of Fame,” Vanessa said.
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San Antonio Spurs star Duncan, Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics big man Garnett, two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich and WNBA legend Tamika Catchings were among those also inducted on Saturday night.
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Bryant became one of NBA's most popular players and the face of the Lakers during his career. Winning a record four NBA All-Star Game MVP awards, he was the overall league MVP in 2008, a two-time NBA scoring champion, and 12 All-Defensive selections. He teamed with Shaquille O'Neal in a combustible partnership to lead the Lakers to NBA titles in 2000, 2001, and 2002. He later teamed with Pau Gasol to win two more titles in 2009 and 2010.
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