In the messages – which Jordan admits he can't bring himself to delete – Bryant praised Jordan's Cincoro Tequila, a bottle of which was sent to Bryant at the launch.<\/p>\n
"This tequila is awesome," the former Los Angeles Laker texted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
After enquiring about how coaching his daughter, Gigi, was going, Bryant complained to Jordan – his former mentor and friend – about a game he was at.<\/p>\n
"Hey, coach, I'm sitting on the bench right now, and we're blowing this team out. 45-8."<\/p>\n
And that was Bryant in a nutshell, according to the six-time NBA champion.<\/p>\n
"I just love that text," Jordan told ESPN, "because it shows Kobe's competitive nature."<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bryant and Gigi were among nine people killed on January 26, 2020 when a helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California.<\/p>\n
Jordan spoke emotionally for more than 11 minutes at Bryant's memorial in Los Angeles, describing him as a little brother.<\/p>\n
"When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died, and as I look at this arena and across the globe, a piece of you died," he said.<\/p>\n
"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. Please rest in peace, little brother."<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bryant's family selected Jordan to present him at the May 15 ceremony at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, according to a statement from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
The five-time NBA champion and fourth highest all-time leading scorer in NBA history was elected into the Hall of Fame last April in his first year of eligibility.<\/p>\n
The enshrinement ceremony for Bryant and the Hall of Fame Class of 2020, which includes players Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings, was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/em>**This story originally appeared on CNN and was republished with permission<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0clicking here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"