National Basketball Association

Vanessa Bryant's Hall of Fame speech gives hints of Kobe off the court

Updated May. 16, 2021 1:20 p.m. ET

By Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer

Vanessa Bryant linked arms with Michael Jordan before taking the stage at her husband's Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday.

Standing in front of the microphone and wearing a Laker-purple dress, she released an audible sigh.

"I'm OK," she said. "Love you."

Then, nearly 16 months after Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash alongside their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, Vanessa spoke about her husband for just over 12 minutes, delivering a deeply moving speech that touched on all of the important notes, ranging from his incredible basketball skills to more revealing subtleties of who he was as a husband and father.

First, she expressed sorrow that she was the one standing on the stage.

"I wish my husband was here to accept this incredible award," Vanessa said. "He and Gigi deserve to be here to witness this. Gigi would be so proud to watch her daddy get enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame."

Then she hit on a note of humor, joking that she always avoided praising Kobe in public because he got enough adulation from his fans, adding, "Someone had to bring him back to reality."

The irony of what she was about to do wouldn't have been lost on her husband.

"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," she said. "I can see him now, arms folded, with a huge grin saying 'Isn't this some s***?'"

Even though Kobe's induction into the Hall of Fame was inevitable, Vanessa said he didn't have any words prepared for this moment because he winged all of his speeches. But she added that she knows he would've thanked his family, friends, mentors, muses and his Laker teammates for helping him reach the pinnacle of the basketball world.

But she added that he would've also thanked everyone who rooted against him. Kobe was a master at transforming ill-wishes into fuel, clenching his jaw and replaying those negative words in his head during his middle-of-the-night workouts.

"He would thank all of them for motivating him to be here," Vanessa said. "After all, he proved you wrong."

Kobe was a five-time NBA champion, a two-time Finals MVP, a one-time regular-season MVP in 2008 and an 18-time All-Star. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive team 12 times over his 20-season career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He had career averages of 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals over 1,346 games.

Vanessa called Kobe one-of-a-kind, special and humble. She then leaned into the microphone, qualifying the last adjective. "Off the court," she added.

But Kobe's stats only told part of the story.

His work ethic and determination are wildly famous, with each superstar around the league having a favorite "Kobe" story that exemplified his unparalleled competitiveness, grit and toughness.

Vanessa shared a few of Kobe's most memorable moments.

"He gave this game his all," she said. "Kobe played through injury after injury. To name a few: He had IVs administered during halftimes to play through food poisoning and the flu. He played with a broken nose. He had a broken finger and had it snapped back in place just enough to finish the game. He also taught himself how to use his left hand to play the rest of the season while his finger healed. He even swished two free throws with a torn Achilles and walked off the court on his own."

The crowd responded to that story by breaking into loud applause, forcing Vanessa to take a short pause.

She went on to say that she knew that the 2013 Achilles tendon injury was bad because he didn't wink at her or blow her a kiss before he walked through the tunnel.

But in true Kobe style, he insisted on having surgery to repair the tendon the following day, wanting to immediately begin his road to recovery. It was an injury that would've sent most 34-year-olds into retirement. But after being sidelined for eight months, Kobe returned more determined than ever.

Vanessa revealed why Kobe was always so single-mindedly obsessed with being on the court.

"People don't know this, but one of the reasons my husband played through injuries and pain was because he said he remembered being a little kid, sitting in the nosebleeds with his dad to watch his favorite player play," she said, glancing back at Jordan. "He could recall the car ride, the convos and the excitement of being lucky enough to have a seat in the arena. Kobe didn't want to disappoint his fans, especially the ones in the 300 section that saved up to watch him play, the kids with the same excitement he once had."

Vanessa went on to point out Kobe's incredible accomplishments after he retired in 2016. He won an Oscar in 2018 for his short film "Dear Basketball" and became a five-time New York Times best-selling author.

But Vanessa added that Kobe never won an award for the thing he excelled at most.

"His most cherished accomplishment was being the very best girl dad," she said.

Vanessa then gave the world a glimpse into the kind of husband and father he was to their four daughters.

After Kobe would wake up at 4 a.m. for his workouts, he'd make sure he was home in time to give Vanessa a kiss when she woke up in the morning. He'd then drop his daughters off at school, go to Lakers practice and be back in time to pick them up from school whenever he could.

She added that Kobe always tried his best to never miss a birthday or his daughters' dance recitals, school awards shows or show-and-tells.

"Thank you for putting your love for our family first," Vanessa said. "Thank you for bringing so much joy to our lives and joy to people around the world. Thank you for inspiring us to be better than we were the day before. Thank you for teaching me, and all of us, to put someone else's joy before our own."

Vanessa called Bryant selfless, adding that he never took himself too seriously. She praised his sense of humor.

And then she flashed her own.

"Thank you for never telling me no and always letting me have my way, most of the time," she said. "Thank you for being patient and easygoing. Thank you for letting me burst your bubble every chance I got. Thank you for graciously taking all my harsh comebacks. Thank you for dishing them back."

At Kobe's memorial last February, Vanessa revealed that Kobe once bought her the actual notebook from the movie "The Notebook," along with the dress that actress Rachel McAdams wore in the film. On Saturday, she called him the Noah to her Allie, referencing the characters in the movie.

"Thank you for loving me enough to last lifetimes," she said. "And every lifetime, I choose you."

Before she walked off the stage, she addressed her two youngest daughters, four-year-old Bianka and one-year-old Capri, who never knew Kobe as a basketball player.

"I'm so happy you're here to see this tonight," she said. "Daddy was incredible. He loves you girls so very much."

She then spoke directly to Kobe.

"Congratulations, baby," she said. "All of your hard work and sacrifice has paid off. You once told me, if you're going to bet on someone, bet on yourself. I'm glad you bet on yourself, you overachiever. You did it. You're in the Hall of Fame now. You're a true champ. You're not just an MVP. You're an all-time great. I'm so proud of you. I love you forever and always, Kobe. Bean. Bryant."

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Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She has previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.