Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant entering the Basketball Hall of Fame is definitely a matter of “when” than “if.” As the leading scorer in Lakers franchise history and the third-highest scorer in the history of the entire NBA, Bryant is as much of a shoe-in for induction as they come.
When that day comes, however, Bryant will have a lot of options to choose from to induct him after playing alongside and being around plenty of Hall of Famers over the years.
Bryant has never lacked for confidence though, and it sounds like he has already thought plenty about his induction and may have already narrowed that list down to two potential candidates. He revealed his choices in a sit down with Liz Levy of Complex:
OK, last question. You’re going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame someday. What might that look like to you? Who might present you? What will you say?
Wow, that’s a great question. In terms of who might present, for me it’s two people: Michael Jordan or Phil Jackson. They’ve been the greatest mentors, not only in my career as an athlete, but also as a person. And what I might say is just a lot of thank yous. ‘Cause I’ve had a lotta help along the way. A lotta lotta help.
Jordan and Jackson are fitting choices to welcome Bryant into their ranks. The former is the greatest player of all time, and the player Bryant most patterned his game after, while the latter is not only the best coach Bryant ever played for, but arguably the best coach of all time.
Plus, while Bryant and Jackson may have had their issues at times, the two developed an obvious bond towards the latter stage of Bryant’s career, and watching Jackson call Bryant’s number one last time might be the perfect way to bring him into the hall.
It would be arguably just as perfect to watch Jordan literally pass the torch to the player who came closest to living up to his legacy, both in terms of style and demeanor.
There really isn’t a bad option here, and the worst part will just be the wait to see who Bryant chooses.