Michael Jordan Speaks at A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant

In 1996, our next speaker faced 18-year-old Kobe Bryant on the court for the first time mid-game while playing. Kobe asked him for advice on his jump shot. Kobe scored 33 points in that game against his childhood idol, Michael scored 36 and won the second game, please welcome

michael

jordan

, I would say good morning, but it's the afternoon. I am grateful to the Vanessa and Brian family for the opportunity to speak today. I'm grateful to be here to honor Gigi and celebrate the gift Kobe gave us all. accomplished as a basketball player as a businessman and storyteller and as a father in the game of basketball in

life

as a father

kobe

left nothing in the tank he left it all on the floor perhaps it surprised people that

kobe

and I were very close friends close but we were very friends kobrez was my dear friend he was like a little brother everyone always wanted to talk about the comparisons between him and I just wanted to talk about kobe you know we all have brothers and sisters little brothers little sisters that for whatever reason you always tend to get into your things your closet your shoes everything was a nuisance if I can say that word but that annoyance turned into love over time just because the admiration they have for you has older brothers or sisters the questions they want to know every little detail about the

life

they were about to embark on he used to call me text me 11 30 2 30 3 in the morning talking about the movements after the foot movement and sometimes the triangle at first was an aggravating thing but then it became a certain passion this boy had a passion like you would never know it's an amazing thing about passion if you love something if you have a strong passion for something you would go to the extreme to try to get it Get it or try to get it, whether it be ice cream, coke, hamburgers , whatever you love, if you have to walk, you will go find it, if you have to beg someone, you will go find it.

What Kobe Bryant was to me was the inspiration that someone really cared about the way he played or the way he wanted to play, he wanted to be the best basketball player he could be, and when I met him, he wanted to be the best big brother. that could be. To do that you have to put up with the aggravation of late night calls or stupid questions. I took on a great girlfriend when I met Kobe Bryant. He was just trying to be a better person. A better basketball player. We talk about business. Talk later. about family we talked about everything and he was just trying to be a better person now that he has me I'll have to look at another crime meme next time I told my wife I wasn't going to do this because I didn't I want to see that during the next three or four years that's what Kobe Bryant does to me.

I'm pretty sure Vanessa and her friends can say the same. He knows how to get to you in a way that affects you personally. Yes he is being a pain in the ass but you always feel love for him in the way he can bring out the best in you and he did that for me. I remember maybe a couple of months ago he texted me and he's saying I'm trying to teach my daughter some moves and I don't know what he was thinking or what he was working on, but what were you thinking when he said it? did you try while you were growing up trying to work? about your mood I said what age he says 12 I told him at 12 I was trying to play baseball he texts me saying I'm laughing out loud and this is at two in the morning but The thing about him is that we could talk about anything related to basketball, but we can talk about anything related to life and as we grow up in life, we rarely have friends that we can have conversations like that with, well, it's even weird when you can grow against adversaries and have conversations.

So I went and saw Phil Jackson in 1999, maybe 2000, I don't know when Phil was here in Los Angeles and I walked in and Kobe was sitting there and the first thing I did was be in a suit. The first thing Kobe said was: did you bring your shoes? No, I wasn't thinking about playing, but his attitude to compete and play against someone who he felt he could improve with and improve his game for me, that's what I loved about the kid, I loved it, no matter where I saw myself. It was a challenge and I admired him because the passion in him you rarely see from someone who seeks and tries to improve every day not only in sports but also as a father as a husband.

I am inspired by what he has done and what he shared with Vanessa and what he has shared with his children I have a 30 year old daughter who just became a grandmother and I have two twins I have twins at six years old I can't wait to get home to become a girl dad and hold them and see the love that the smiles they bring to us as parents, he taught me that just by watching this tonight, seeing how he responded and reacted to the people that he truly loved, these are the things that we will continue to learn from kobe

bryant

to vanessa natalia bianca capri my wife and I will keep you close to our hearts in our prayers we will always be here for you always I also want to offer our condolences and support to all the families affected by this enormous tragedy kobe gave every last drop of himself to whatever he was After basketball, he showed a creative side to himself that I didn't think any of us knew he had when he retired.

He seemed so happy that he found new passions and continued to contribute as a coach in his community. More importantly, he was an incredible. incredible husband dad who was dedicated to his family and who loved his daughters with all his heart kobe never left anything on the court and i think that's what he would want us to do no one knows how much time we have so we must live in the moment we must endure the moment we must reach and see and spend as much time as we can with our families and friends and the people we absolutely love.

Living in the moment means enjoying each and everyone we come into contact with. When Kobe Bryant died a part of me died and as I look around this arena and around the world a part of you died, well she wouldn't be here those are the memories we have to live with and learn from , I promise you. From this day on I will live with the memories of knowing that I had a little brother who I tried to help in any way I could. Please rest in peace little brother.