LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Garnett #21 of the Minnesota Timberwolves talk with each other before the game on October 28, 2015 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Kevin Garnett: Kobe Bryant Not Being at Hall of Fame Ceremony Will Be Super Emotional

Adam WellsMay 14, 2021

Kevin Garnett has spoken about his feelings ahead of Saturday's Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

In a conversation with Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Garnett said Kobe Bryant not being there "is going to be super emotional for everybody."

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Bryant, Garnett and Tim Duncan were among the nine-member Hall of Fame class of 2020.

Their induction ceremony was originally going to be held on Aug. 20, 2020, but it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony is now scheduled to be held on Saturday at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Bryant died two months before the 2020 Hall of Fame class was announced. He was among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26, 2020.

The Hall of Fame announced last month that Michael Jordan will present Bryant at the ceremony. Charania added that Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's widow, will speak in honor of her husband.

Bryant tweeted about Garnett after he announced his retirement from the NBA in Sept. 2016:

"Kobe was one of my dear friends," Garnett said during a February appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (h/t Jason Duaine Hahn of People).

Garnett and Bryant had a friendly rivalry on the court. They played a total of 76 games against each other between the regular season and playoffs. Bryant had a 45-31 edge, but they split their two head-to-head meetings in the NBA Finals.