Along with Vanessa Bryant and former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal, six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan also spoke at Kobe Bryant's memorial on Monday at the Staples Center.

Few players in the history of the NBA have been compared more often than Jordan and Bryant. Kobe emulated Jordan from the way he walked, talked, and played the game of basketball and did it so well that he can one title short of matching arguably the greatest player of all time.

Not only did Jordan motivate and inspire Bryant to become the player that he did, but he had a profound impact on the man that he admired. Jordan couldn't keep his emotions contained on Monday in Los Angeles as he spoke admirably about his former mentee with tears streaming down his face.

Although it was widely known that Jordan and Bryant shared a special bond, the Chicago Bulls legend gave more insight into their relationship over the years and just how close they were. The late-night phone calls with Bryant displaying his passion for the game left a considerable impact on Jordan, which was clearly seen with the way he spoke about his friend and someone he thought of like a younger brother.