Michael Jordan delivered a powerful speech honoring Kobe Bryant at a public event on porna naMonday celebrating the lives of the late Laker, his daughter Gianna, and the seven others who died in a tragic helicopter crash last month.
But Jordan — who sobbed as he spoke about his friend he called a "little brother"— also delivered a bit of levity by joking about the "Crying Jordan" meme that became a viral sensation online in the last decade.
"Now [Kobe's] got me — I'm going to have to look at another crying meme for the next..." Jordan joked as the crowd erupted in cheers and laughter.
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"I told my wife I wasn't going to do this because I didn't want to see that for the next 3 or 4 years," Jordan said. "That is what Kobe Bryant does to me."
Jordan famously wept during an infamous 2009 Hall of Fame induction speech. From there "Crying Jordan" became one of the internet's most popular memes, his tear-soaked face jokingly inserted into countless situations.
Jordan's speech about Bryant at Los Angeles' Staples Center on Monday was heartfelt, touching and widely praised.
"He was like a little brother ... and I just wanted to be the best big brother I could be," Jordan said.
Bryant idolized Jordan and famously modeled the way he played basketball after the former Chicago Bull, widely considered the greatest of all time.
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"When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died," Jordan said through tears toward the end of his speech.