'Now he got me having to look at another crying meme for the next 3 years': Michael Jordan provided a moment of levity at the memorial service for Kobe and Gigi Bryant

Tyler Lauletta

February 24, 2020 9:09 PM

The NBA world mourned the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi at the Staples Center on Monday.

Michael Jordan

Celebrities from Los Angeles as well as superstars from around the NBA gathered to pay their respects to Bryant, and share stories of their time with him.
During his time at the podium, Michael Jordan provided the crowd with a much needed moment of levity, joking that he would once again become a meme as "Crying Jordan" after tearing up on stage.
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The NBA world gathered at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant on Monday.

While the gathering was a somber one, there were moments of levity, with former teammates sharing fond memories of the Lakers superstar, and former rivals paying their respects to Bryant one last time.

Michael Jordan offered a touching eulogy for Bryant. "Kobe left nothing in the tank," Jordan began. "He left it all on the floor."

"Kobe was my dear friend, he was like my little brother," Jordan said. "Everybody always wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I. I just wanted to talk about Kobe."

At one point, Jordan teared up, and provided a much-needed moment of levity in the midst of some depressing circumstances, referencing the "Crying Jordan" meme that was inescapable for years.

"Now he's got me... I'll have to look at another crying meme for the next..." Jordan said, tears streaming down his face, before getting cut off by laughs and applause. "I told my wife I wasn't going to do this because I didn't want to see this for the next three or four years. That is what Kobe Bryant does to me."

You can watch Jordan's whole speech below.

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