Basketball legend Michael Jordan has shared the last message he received from Kobe Bryant, which he says showed the type of person the late NBA star really was.
Bryant died alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gigi (Gianna) and seven other people in a helicopter crash in Southern California on 26 January 2020. He was just 41.
Jordan is set to induct Bryant into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend and has been talking about their relationship to ESPN, telling the news outlet he 'absolutely loved' his fellow basketball star.
He also shared details of their last chat, a month before his tragic death.
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Jordan revealed the pals had a quick conversation via text on 8 December with Bryant telling him his Cincoro Tequila was 'awesome'.
They then asked after each other's families and passed on their best wishes for the holidays.
But Jordan says it was the final message he received that really showed Bryant's nature - after exchanging the messages about their families, Bryant wrote: "Hey, coach, I'm sitting on the bench right now, and we're blowing this team out. 45-8."
Talking to ESPN, Jordan said: "I just love that text because it shows Kobe's competitive nature."
Just 49 days after he sent that message, Bryant tragically died.
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Speaking to the news outlet about how he feels overseeing the upcoming ceremony, he said: "I was thinking, at first, I might be a little somewhat nervous about it, but then I realised I'm not going to be nervous about showing emotions for someone I absolutely loved.
"That's the humanistic side of me - people tend to forget I do have one."
Jordan showed his humanistic side during a speech he gave at the memorial service for the Bryants.
He broke down in tears during the ceremony, but did manage to a raise a smile when he joked that he was set to become another crying meme.
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He told the crowd: "Now [Kobe's] got me - I'm going to have to look at another crying meme.
"I told my wife I wasn't going to do this because I didn't want to see that for the next three or four years.
"That is what Kobe Bryant does to me."
Featured Image Credit: PA