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00:00 After 20 incredible seasons in purple and gold, the late Kobe Bryant has been inducted
00:05 into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
00:07 Joining me now to discuss this is Sports Illustrated Lakers team reporter Melissa Roland.
00:12 And Melissa, as much as it's not a surprise that Kobe Bryant is a first ballot Hall of
00:15 Famer, it still feels a little bit odd saying the late Kobe Bryant.
00:20 Of course, he recently passed away in that helicopter accident.
00:24 How has the team and people around the organization reacted to this news?
00:29 Obviously, it was expected.
00:31 I think everybody is just really sad that Kobe's not going to be around to accept this
00:36 award.
00:37 Actually, Vanessa Bryant called this the peak of his career.
00:41 Lakers owner Jeannie Buss said that Kobe Bryant is, you know, obviously one of the greatest
00:46 players of all time and nobody deserves this more than him.
00:51 Lakers general manager Rob Polinka said that Kobe's soul will now be amongst the greatest
00:56 basketball players of all time right where it belongs.
01:00 Now, you mentioned Vanessa Bryant.
01:02 She's been a pillar of strength through all of this.
01:04 She spoke at his memorial at Staples Center and of course spoke several times today in
01:10 reaction to this news.
01:11 How has she in your eyes evolved in the wake of all of this?
01:16 That's a really interesting question, Madeline, because at her, she spoke for the first time
01:22 that I had ever heard throughout my time covering the Lakers at his memorial on February 24th.
01:28 And she was incredibly eloquent and articulate and really opened up about her relationship
01:33 with Kobe Bryant.
01:35 Really led us into just how great their love story was, how incredible the father he was.
01:41 We really got to see who Kobe was as a human, not just a five-time NBA champion, two-time
01:47 finals MVP, one-time regular season finals MVP, or regular season MVP.
01:52 We got to see who Kobe was as a man, which was really interesting.
01:55 Vanessa has really impressed everybody with her courage and her strength and just her
02:00 vulnerability during this time.
02:03 Now, Melissa, you have been covering basketball in Los Angeles for a very long time.
02:08 What is the way that you are going to remember Kobe Bryant?
02:11 What's one memory about him that sticks out?
02:15 One thing that really stuck out to me about Kobe Bryant was basically everything he said
02:20 turned to gold.
02:21 He was just so articulate and so smart and so honest.
02:25 He was above reproach.
02:26 He could say anything he wanted to say and he wouldn't get in trouble.
02:30 So he was able to speak in a way that many other NBA players, many other athletes, many
02:34 other public figures aren't able to.
02:36 And he was a really thoughtful guy, obviously really cultured.
02:40 And so everything he said was just fascinating.
02:42 I always found him extremely wonderful to work with.
02:46 He was very kind.
02:48 He's going to be greatly missed.
02:49 And it's really sad that during his Hall of Fame ceremony that he's not going to be there.
02:53 I think there's going to be sort of an overlaying sadness and an overlaying morosity to the
02:59 whole thing.
03:00 Absolutely.
03:01 The man who speaks multiple languages, very eloquent and a competitor unlike anyone else
03:06 on the court.
03:07 I don't think anyone who was alive at the time doesn't remember where they were when
03:11 Kobe shot and made two free throws on a ruptured Achilles.
03:15 Melissa Roland, thank you so much for the insight.
03:17 And thank you as always for the time.
03:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]