This Saturday Kobe Bryant will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be inducted by none other than Michael Jordan himself. But before MJ gets on stage and gives what will presumably be an emotional speech, the NBA GOAT spoke with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullen and talked about the last time he and Kobe communicated with each other over text.
According to Michael, the last text exchange took place on Dec. 8, 2019, just 49 days before Bryant’s fatal helicopter crash. First, Kobe complimented Jordan on his Cincoro Tequila. They then talked about their families before Jordan asked about Bryant’s new passion for coaching. Read the text exchange (below):
“This tequila is awesome,” Jordan said Kobe texted him after he had sent over a bottle.
“Thank you, my brother,” Jordan says he responded.
“Yes, sir. Family good?” Kobe replied.
“All good. Yours?”
“All good.”
Jordan wanted to talk to Bryant about his daughter’s basketball team—which he was coaching. “He was really into coaching Gigi,” Jordan said, “so I hit him up about that.”
“Happy holidays,” Jordan texted back, “and hope to catch up soon. Coach Kobe??!” “I added that little crying/laughing emoji,” Jordan chuckles.
“Ah, back at you, man,” Kobe wrote. “Hey, coach, I’m sitting on the bench right now, and we’re blowing this team out. 45-8.” … “I just love that text,” Jordan says, “because it shows Kobe’s competitive nature.” Jordan added, “I don’t know why, but I just can’t delete it.”
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Jordan says the honor to induct Kobe is huge and he promised he’d be emotional remembering his good friend during the evening.
“It’s like standing up for a family member,” Jordan said. “He paid me the highest respect by trying to emulate certain things I did.” “And I can only repay that by showing my support and admiration for a guy who I felt was one of the greatest to ever play the game.”
Be sure to tune in Saturday to see MJ give his speech. RIP Kobe Bryant.