He says '12'. "I went and saw Phil Jackson in 1999, maybe 2000, I don't know, when Phil was here in L.A. And I walk in and Kobe's sitting there. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. I said '12, I was trying to play baseball.' And as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be. Always. "During his speech, the former Bulls star started tearing up and poked fun at himself by referencing the infamous "Now he's got me. If you have to beg someone, you would go get it. "When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died," he said. It was a nuisance – if I can say that word – but that nuisance turned into love over a period of time. But you have a sense of love for him and the way that he can bring out the best in you. Just because the admiration that they have for you as big brothers or big sisters, the questions in wanting to know every little detail about life that they were about to embark on.
We will always be here for you.
Michael Jordan gave a moving speech about his close friend Kobe Bryant during the memorial at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday.Jordan played an 18-year-old Bryant in 1996, and as emcee Jimmy Kimmel noted, Bryant asked him during the game for tips on his jump shot. During his speech, the former Bulls star started tearing up and poked fun at himself by referencing the infamous crying Jordan meme. An emotional Michael Jordan honored Kobe Bryant during Monday's memorial for the late Jordan joked how he found Bryant annoying for regularly calling him early in his career to talk about basketball.
“I promise you, from this day forward, I will live with the memories of knowing that I had a little brother that I tried to help in every way I could.” And I have two twins. "To do that, you have to put up with the aggravation, the late-night calls, or the dumb questions. "Now, he's got me and I'll have to look at another crying meme for the next ... "I told my wife I wasn't gonna do this cause I didn't want to see that for the next three or four years. And he continued to give back, as a coach, in his community. In the game of basketball, in life, as a parent – Kobe left nothing in the tank. "You know all of us have brothers and sisters, little brothers, little sisters, who for whatever reason always tend to get in your stuff, your closet, your shoes, everything. And as I look in this arena and across the globe, a piece of you died, or else you wouldn’t be here. And I admired him because his passion, you rarely see someone who is looking and trying to improve each and every day, not just in sports, but as a parent, as a husband. Either ice cream, Cokes, hamburgers, whatever you have a love for. I took great pride as I got to know Kobe Bryant that he was just trying to be a better person – a better basketball player. Kobe never left anything on the court. It's an amazing thing about passion. "I'm grateful to be here to honor Gigi and celebrate the gifts that Kobe gave us all – what he accomplished as a basketball player, as a businessman, and a storyteller and as a father. And he did that for me. That is what Kobe Bryant does to me.
"Maybe it surprised people that Kobe and I were very close friends. However, their conversations sparked Jordan to become like a brother to him. He found new passions. "I would say good morning, but it's afternoon. He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be. And I don't know what I was thinking or what I was working on, but what were you thinking about when you were growing up trying to work on your moves?' And this is at 2 o'clock in the morning. All Rights Reserved.
These are the things that we will continue to learn from Kobe Bryant. "But the thing about him was we could talk about anything that related to basketball but we could talk about anything that related to life. "That is what Kobe Bryant does to me. Everyone always wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I. I just wanted to talk about Kobe. We talked about business, we talked about family, we talked about everything. He closed his speech with a heartfelt tribute to his late friend. Michael Jordan: When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died.
"And the first thing, Kobe said, 'Did you bring your shoes?
More importantly, he was an amazing dad, amazing husband, who dedicated himself to his family and who loved his daughters with all his heart. I absolutely loved the kid.
"When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died. I'm grateful to Vanessa and the Bryant family for the opportunity to speak today. Bryant scored 33 points, while Jordan scored 36 to lead the Chicago Bulls to victory.Jordan was Bryant's idol and mentor growing up in the game and during his 11-minute speech, the six-time NBA champion shared heartfelt stories about their late-night texts and times together.