Kobe Bryant Wants Phil Jackson or Michael Jordan to Present Him at Hall of Fame

Kobe Bryant is still four years away from being eligible to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, but the Los Angeles Lakers legend already knows who he wants to present him. 

Bryant told Liz Levy of Complex he would like to have Michael Jordan or Phil Jackson induct him when his time comes.

"In terms of who might present, for me it’s two people: Michael Jordan or Phil Jackson," he said. "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."

Jackson would be an obvious candidate to induct Kobe into the Hall of Fame. They were arguably the best coach-player duo in the NBA from 1999-2011, winning five championships in seven trips to the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The two didn't always see eye to eye on things. Jackson called Bryant "uncoachable" in his book The Last Season, which was released during his one-season hiatus from the Lakers in 2004-05. 

Bryant said in a 2015 interview with Chuck Klosterman of GQ Magazine that Jackson tried to push his buttons so often he would think, "F--k it. I’m done with this guy."

Jordan is something of an outside-the-box choice because he never played on the same team as Bryant, though Bryant was often considered the heir apparent to Jordan during his career. 

Bryant still has plenty of time to figure out who will present him at the Hall of Fame. His first year of eligibility is as part of the loaded 2021 class that could also include Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.