Vanessa Bryant pays tribute to Kobe Bryant at Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Kobe Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of a star-studded Class of 2020. At the enshrinement ceremony in Uncasville, Connecticut, the 5-time NBA Champion — who died in a helicopter accident in January 2020 along with his daughter Gianna and seven other people — was presented by his idol, Michael Jordan, while his wife, Vanessa, gave a moving speech. 

"I used to always avoid praising my husband in public because I felt like he got enough praise from his fans around the world and someone had to bring him back to reality," Vanessa 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. I can see him now, arms folded, with a huge grin, saying, 'Isn't this some s**t?'" Vanessa Bryant said that, had he still been alive, Bryant would have thanked "everyone that helped him get here, including the people that doubted him and the people that worked against him and told him that he couldn't attain his goals.