Vanessa Bryant: Kobe's HOF induction 'peak of his NBA career'
As expected, Kobe Bryant was officially announced as an inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Shortly after the announcement, the late superstar's wife Vanessa and daughter Natalia appeared on ESPN to speak about the honor.
"We're incredibly proud of him."
— ESPN (@espn) April 4, 2020
Vanessa and Natalia Bryant joined Rece Davis after Kobe's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/HX31pyvgPe
"It's an incredible accomplishment and honor and we're extremely proud of him," Bryant said.
"Obviously, we wish that he was here with us to celebrate," she added. "But it's definitely the peak of his NBA career, and every accomplishment that he had as an athlete was a stepping stone to be here. We're incredibly proud of him, there's some solace in knowing that he was probably going to be a part of the 2020 Hall of Fame class."
Fellow Lakers legend Magic Johnson also paid tribute to Bryant on Saturday.
"It breaks my heart that he won't be there to receive the award himself and give a great speech," he said. "But to his wife and three daughters, and his parents and two sisters, I want to say congratulations, and we as Lakers fans and all the Laker players, will all be there supporting you."