Uncasville (Connecticut, USA), May 14 (EFE) .- The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has created a special exhibition in honor of Kobe Bryant, who on Friday visited his widow, Vanessa, and who will become in the “most talked about” exhibit at the Show, according to John Doleva, president and CEO.
“The family had time to think about what they wanted to do,” Doleva said during Friday’s press conference for each of the 2020 members.
He added that “(It’s) about Kobe’s accomplishments, but also about what Kobe was after he left the Lakers, after he left basketball.”
Doleva said the Hall of Fame exhibit, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, was created through a collaboration between Vanessa Bryant and the Panini trading card company, among others.
Bryant was the only member of the star-studded 2020 class, which includes Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, who was not represented at Friday’s press conference.
Vanessa Bryant prepared a statement in lieu of answering questions that was read by event host Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
“It is an honor for Kobe to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame,” Vanessa Bryant said in the statement.
He adds that “I look forward to celebrating Kobe’s legacy and offering my comments at the consecration ceremony tomorrow. On behalf of our family, we appreciate the continued love and support of fans around the world.”
Unsurprisingly, much of Friday’s dialogue focused on Bryant, who has a connection to various members of the class.
Of those, the most prominent are Duncan and Garnett, two first-ballot Hall of Famers who spent decades battling Bryant throughout their careers.
They both spoke of their admiration for Bryant.
“Your greatest competition brings out the best in you,” Duncan said, “and that’s what (Bryant) always did. You always had to do your best and do your best from start to finish whether you played against him or against him. any of your teams. “
While Garnett commented that “You can go through the list of NBA greats and I couldn’t pick two better players, not only that, but two better people, to go to the Hall. They are both class acts and incredible players.” EFE
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