On May 15, the late Kobe Bryant will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
His presenter? Michael Jordan, chosen by Bryant’s family to deliver a speech, just like he memorably did at the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s memorial in February of 2020.
As Saturday’s ceremony approaches, Jordan revealed — to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan — his final text exchange with Bryant before the Lakers’ guard’s tragic death last year.
It’s gut-wrenching, revealing both where Bryant was at in December of 2019 and the relationship he had with the NBA’s GOAT.
Here’s what they said to each other in what turned out to be their final exchange:
“This tequila is awesome,” Kobe texted, referring to Jordan’s Cincoro Tequila, a bottle of which was sent to Bryant at the launch.
“Thank you, my brother,” Jordan responded.
“Yes, sir. Family good?” Kobe replied.
“All good. Yours?”
“All good.”
Jordan smiled, then decided to have a little fun. “He was really into coaching Gigi,” MJ explains, “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.”
Expect more emotional moments later this week.
