Michael Jordan may be known just as much for a silly meme just as he is for his legendary basketball skills. The image of Jordan, a world renowned athlete, crying like a baby during his induction into the basketball hall of fame in 2009.
But he's embraced being an internet sensation. So much so that he referenced it during his remarks at the memorial service for Kobe Bryant in California's Staples Center on Monday. Jordan wept while remembering his late friend, who he called his "little brother." As the tears rolled down his cheeks, he couldn't help but poke fun at his viral moment, predicting he was about to be the subject of yet another meme.
"Now he's got me— I'm going to have to look at another crying meme." - Michael Jordan #KobeFarewell pic.twitter.com/OHnxIR2CRm
— Complex (@Complex) February 24, 2020
Kobe Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna perished in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 26. They were among nine people killed on their way to a charity basketball game.
Other speakers and performers at Bryant's service included his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, Stephen Curry, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Jimmy Kimmel. Bryant's wife Vanessa, who was welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation, delivered a beautiful, heartbreaking speech about her late husband. You can watch it in full below.
“He was my everything.”
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 24, 2020
Vanessa Bryant remembers Kobe at the Celebration of Life. pic.twitter.com/vHb9xP0qmm
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