‘Dear Kobe, thank you’

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was inducted posthumously to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, as the class of 2020 was enshrined after months of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The five-time NBA champion died last year aged 41 in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter and seven others, shocking the world of professional sport and sending his legions of fans into mourning. Bryant's widow Vanessa, who started dating Kobe when she was 17, offered an acceptance on his behalf as presenter Michael Jordan stood nearby."Dear Kobe, thank you for being the best husband and father you could possibly be," she said. "Thank you for never giving up on us. Thank you for all of your hard work." Vanessa Bryant noted that she always avoided praising the former Los Angeles Lakers star in public.m "Someone had to bring him back to reality," Vanessa Bryant said. "Right now, I'm sure he's laughing in heaven because I'm about to praise him in public for his accomplishments on one of the most public stages."