With tears streaming down his face, Michael Jordan brought some cathartic levity to Kobe Bryant’s public memorial service on Monday.
Addressing a packed Staples Center, the NBA icon referenced the famous “Crying Jordan” meme during his eulogy. “Now he’s got me. I’m going to have to look at another crying meme for the next…” Jordan trailed off amid massive applause. Cameras captured high-profile mourners including Bryant’s widow Vanessa and Steph Curry breaking into laughter.
“Now I’m going to have to look at another crying meme for the next three, four years.” – Michael Jordan#KobeFarewell pic.twitter.com/Rt63HT1RiH
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 24, 2020
“I told my wife I wasn’t going to do this because I didn’t want to see that for the next three or four years,” he joked. “That is what Kobe Bryant does to me.”
Concluding a poignant speech, Jordan finished, “Please, rest in peace, little brother.” The audience responded with a standing ovation.