It’s been over a year since Kobe Bryant passed away. For those who grew up idolizing him, it still doesn’t seem true, and the NBA community still can’t fathom the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers legend is no longer among us.

Kobe was one of the greatest players to ever do it. His competitive drive, desire to win and improve every single day, and how he dealt with adversity made him a legend on and off the court.

That’s why he was a lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and why it’s going to be such a huge honor for Michael Jordan – perhaps his greatest inspiration – to be the one who presents him as he’s immortalized in Naismith.

Michael Jordan Reveals The Final Chat He Had With Kobe Bryant

When asked about it in an interview with ESPN’s Jackie McMullan, the Chicago Bulls legend was pretty honest about his feelings towards Kobe, even sharing the last text exchange they had before his tragic death.

(Transcript via Fadeaway World)

“He was just so happy,” Jordan says. “He was doing so well.”

The final text message, dated Dec. 8, 2019, indicates as much. Kobe sent it to Jordan just after noon, 12:18 p.m. PT.

“This tequila is awesome,” Kobe texted, referring to Jordan’s Cincoro Tequila, a bottle of which was sent to Bryant at the launch.

“Thank you, my brother,” Jordan responded.

“Yes, sir. Family good?” Kobe replied.

“All good. Yours?”

“All good.”

Jordan smiled, then decided to have a little fun. “He was really into coaching Gigi,” MJ explains, “so I hit him up about that.”

“Happy holidays,” Jordan texted back, “and hope to catch up soon. Coach Kobe??!”

“I added that little crying/laughing emoji,” Jordan chuckles.

“Ah, back at you, man,” Kobe wrote. “Hey, coach, I’m sitting on the bench right now, and we’re blowing this team out. 45-8.”

Eleven days following that exchange, Bryant learned he had been officially nominated for the Hall of Fame as a first-ballot entry. Forty-nine days later, he was gone.

“I just love that text,” Jordan says, “because it shows Kobe’s competitive nature.”

Jordan Knew He Would Induct Kobe Into The Hall Of Fame

“Vanessa asked me once he passed away,” Jordan started. “In all honesty, I knew he probably would. It was either me or Shaq, since they won three championships together.

His Airness said that he reached out to Kobe’s widow to check out on her, and that’s when she asked him to induct Kobe into the Hall of Fame:

“I told her, ‘Look, I know this is a tough time. I’m always here if you need me,'” Jordan says. “She answered back, ‘I would love it if you stood up for Kobe at the Hall of Fame.’ It’s going to be a great honor, to be honest. It’s like standing up for a family member. He paid me the highest respect by trying to emulate certain things I did. And I can only repay that by showing my support and admiration for a guy who I felt was one of the greatest to ever play the game,” Jordan added.

“I was thinking, at first, I might be a little somewhat nervous about it, but then I realized 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,” the GOAT concluded.

There’s no doubt that it will be an emotional day for sports fans all over the world. Kobe will forever be remembered, beloved, and missed. His legacy will live on for generations to come, as long as there’s a basketball bouncing on the floor.