Watch: Kobe Bryant’s Wife Vanessa And Daughter Talk About His Basketball Hall Of Fame Election

Kobe Bryant has been posthumously elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the very first year of eligibility. Officials made the big announcement Saturday on ESPN. This was the greatest tribute to the Black Mamba. His wife Vanessa and their daughter talked about the announcement today.

The 18-time NBA All-Star spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe won the NBA MVP award once and the NBA Finals MVP on two occasions. Let’s not forget that he also won two Olympic gold medals.

Kobe and his daughter Gianna were traveling to a youth basketball tournament when their helicopter crashed. Seven others were killed in the tragic crash on January 26. The helicopter crashed in the hillside of Calabasas.

Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnet and Tamika Catchings will join Bryant into the hall. Duncan is a five-time NBA champion and 15-time NBA All-Star with the San Antonio Spurs. Garnett is a 15-time NBA All-Star. He has won one title with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Catchings is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and 2012 WNBA champion with the Indiana Fever.

According to the announcement, the Class of 2020 will be enshrined on August 29 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Vanessa is proud of Kobe and their daughter

Vanessa and Natalia were more than proud to hear the good news. In an interview with ESPN, the widow spoke on his behalf about the Hall of Fame induction. She struggled to hold back her tears.

“It’s (an) incredible accomplishment and honor,” Vanessa said. “We’re extremely proud of him. Obviously, we wish he was here with us to celebrate. But it’s definitely the peak of his NBA career and every accomplishment he had as an athlete was a stepping stone to being here.”

This was a moment of bravery for the Bryant family. Vanessa is a brilliant woman and she has shown her incredible strength during this whole time. The family organized a public memorial on February 24. Vanessa held an emotional speech. Although she struggles to accept reality, she has to stay strong for herself and the kids. Seeing her late husband being inducted to the basketball Hall of Fame is brilliant. It would have been really great to have him around and celebrate this great achievement. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to Vanessa, the girls and the rest of the family.