Michael Jordan and Vanessa Bryant Share Special Moment During NBA All-Star Game

By Brian Jones

Michael Jordan and Vanessa Bryant shared a memorable moment during the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. The two embraced after Bryant's husband, Kobe, was honored during halftime. Bryant was representing her husband, who is one of the members of the NBA 75th Anniversary team. Kobe died in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna and seven other people in January 2020. 

Vanessa was also there to present the WNBA's first Kobe and Gigi Bryant Advocacy award, which went to Chris Paul. The award honors players for their contributions to women's basketball. Kobe's name is also used for the NBA All-Star MVP award, and that went to Stephen Curry after hitting 16 three-pointers. 

"Yeah, I told him on the court after the game it was kind of a perfect ending," Curry said after the game when talking about LeBron James' game-winning shot, per ESPN. "I was chasing that extra two or three points. I think DeMar [DeRozan] hit a big shot, and then [James] came out and hit the game-winner. "It was kind of a perfect ending. Obviously, I got the MVP; I played well the whole night. He hit the game-winner. All the history of our series and the Akron ties, and all that kind of going into how the night went, so it was pretty — can't really draw it up any other way."

Jordan and Kobe Bryant were good friends. Shortly after Bryant died, Jordan gave an emotional speech at his memorial service. "I'm grateful to Vanessa and the Bryant family for the opportunity to speak today," Jordan said. "I'm grateful to be here to honor Gigi and celebrate the gift that Kobe gave us all. "In the game of basketball, in life, as a parent, Kobe left nothing in the tank. He left it all on the floor. Maybe it surprised people that Kobe and I were very close friends, but we were very close friends. Kobe was my dear friend. He was like a little brother. Everyone always wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I. I just wanted to talk about Kobe."

Jordan also said Bryant was a little brother to him. "You know all of us have brothers and sisters who for whatever reason always tend to get in your stuff, your closet, your shoes, everything," he said. It was a nuisance if I can say that word. But that nuisance turned into love over a period of time just because the admiration that they had for you as big brothers or big sisters. The questions – they're wanting to know every little detail about the life they're about to embark on."

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