Michael Jordan’s Poignant Kobe Tribute: ‘A Piece of Me Died’

Michael Jordan says he didn’t see Kobe Bryant as his rival for the mythical honor of being recognized as the best basketball player ever.

Former basketball player Michael Jordan speaks during a public memorial for NBA great Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 24, 2020. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

LOS ANGELES—Michael Jordan says he didn’t see Kobe Bryant as his rival for the mythical honor of being recognized as the best basketball player ever.

Instead, he came to love Bryant as the little brother he never had, and as a student eager to learn from Jordan’s experiences and skills.