🏀 The Special Bond Between Kobe & Tamika

For Tamika Catchings to be part of the same HOF class as Kobe Bryant is poetic and appropriate. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Kobe Bryant and Tamika Catchings grew up together. Now, both will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ... we take a look at Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani ... and we are treated to a hilarious Twitter interaction between Mark Ingram and Chris Long. Vivid reminders of Kobe Bryant frequently pass through the calendar, even now, 16 months after his tragic death and with everything that has befallen the world in the meantime. There is always something, an anniversary of a spectacular performance, or his birthday, or the Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA title in the bubble, or just when a player, any player, catches fire in the kind of Kobe-like fashion that takes your breath away. This weekend will be among the most meaningful though, as Bryant is formally inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of a star-studded class, providing another opportunity to reflect, remember and to feel that now-familiar lump in the throat, quite possibly to be followed by a tear or two. [STORY IMAGE 1] We all have our personal stories of witnessing Bryant’s brilliance, just like we all know where we were when that awful news came in, how we heard it, and from whom. Tamika Catchings’ memories of Bryant date back further than those of virtually everyone outside his own family. Back to when they were children, in Italy, and when basketball was virtually an afterthought. “Soccer was our sport,” WNBA legend Catchings told the Chicago Daily Herald. “We weren’t even thinking much about basketball back then.” Back in the mid-1980s, the Bryant and Catchings families would meet up, hang out and take trips together in Italy, where respective patriarchs, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant and Harvey Catchings both played professionally after the end of their NBA careers. [STORY IMAGE 2] They’d go to Rome to see the Coliseum, visit parks for ice cream, kickarounds and fun, forming the start of a friendship between eight-year-old Kobe and seven-year-old Tamika, that would last until the very end. Catchings is among the nine Class of 2020 inductees this weekend, having brought an end to her own spectacular career in 2016, after 15 years with the Indiana Fever, 10 All-Star selections, a WNBA title, an NCAA championship with Tennessee, years of service as WNBA Players’ Union President, and an incredible story of having done all that despite suffering partial deafness since childhood. For her to be part of the same induction class as Bryant is poetic and appropriate. There is only one way it could be better. “The main character is missing,” Catchings added. There is one heck of a collection of talent entering the Hall. There is Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan on the playing side, Eddie Sutton and Rudy Tomjanovich from the coaching ranks and former FIBA general secretary Patrick Baumann. [STORY IMAGE 3] Bryant would surely have also been thrilled to be in the same batch as three pioneering contributors to the women’s game, which he staunchly supported and was due to be more involved in through his daughter Gigi, who perished with him in the accident that claimed a total of nine lives on Jan. 26 last year. Catchings (who will be presented by Alonzo Mourning and Dawn Staley) is to be joined by longtime Baylor (now LSU) head coach Kim Mulkey (like Bryant, presented by Michael Jordan) and coaching veteran Barbara Stevens (by Geno Auriemma and Muffet McGraw). When Catchings, now general manager of the Indiana Fever, owner of a tea shop and a passionate devotee to her Catch The Stars Foundation, retired five years back, Bryant recorded a video message by way of tribute. “We have known each other for a very, very long time,” he said. “As kids growing up we were running around Italy, running around the streets of Rome. Who would have thought we would both have the careers we have had? I am extremely proud of you, one of the all-time greatest players. Make sure you enjoy retirement. Kick back and relax.” That’s what Bryant was supposed to spend a lot longer doing. He wasn’t all over the NBA landscape anymore, preferring family time with his daughters and wife Vanessa and other ventures. [STORY IMAGE 4] He’d spent long enough in NBA arenas, he figured. It was time to catch up on everything else. He didn’t get long enough at it, not nearly. There is no avoiding the fact that Bryant’s entry will be the most closely-watched part of the ceremony and also be its most-awaited element. Catchings admits the emotion of it will impact her deeply, along with her own feelings of pride and honor. Bryant’s passing doesn’t quite feel real yet. Maybe it never will. Yet as he enters the most exclusive club in basketball, it feels right that he’ll do so alongside a group of ultimate competitors. And a friend, who was there before it all began. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever GM: “This is the top. It’s so cool and so awesome. When you look at the Hall of Fame, this is at the end of your career. There’s no turning back. This is the end. It’s just a great ending. It’s awesome.” Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer (on Kobe Bryant): “This kid had passion like you would never know. He wanted to be the best basketball player he could be. As I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother I could be. To do that, you have to put up with the aggravation, the late-night calls, the dumb questions. I took great pride as I got to know Kobe Bryant.” Dana Hunsinger Benbow, USA Today: “Basketball was an escape for (Kobe) Bryant, a way to prove himself to his peers, put himself on equal ground. Catchings used the sport she had grown to love in Italy to overcome her hearing disability and the people who taunted her.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - A former two-way player in college, [FOX Sports MLB Writer Ben Verlander explains just how mind-blowing it is that Shohei Ohtani is doing it at the MLB level](. - NASCAR wants to re-enter the Nashville market, but the community isn’t sure Cup Racing is what it needs. [FOX Sports NASCAR Writer Bob Pockrass has the story](. - How will the Dallas Cowboys fare across the new 17 game schedule? [Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe don’t see eye-to-eye on it](. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( When this tweet came across our timeline, we had to make it a point to feature it in this section of the newsletter. Here’s the story: Former Pro Bowl running back Mark Ingram took to Twitter on Thursday, complaining to United Airlines that they lost his luggage. Chris Long saw the tweet and took some time to update his Twitter profile to look like United’s account, changing everything from the avatar to his user name. He then quote tweeted Ingram’s tweet, saying “You’re rich. Buy clothes.” If you weren’t paying close attention, it would be easy to think this was United Airlines responding, as several Twitter users commented, saying how upset they were with the response. Eventually, Ingram responded back by saying “You're rich Chris how about you buy my clothes.” Well played! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Friday Night SmackDown (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) Roman Reigns and Cesaro make one last stand this Friday on SmackDown. Oakland Athletics at Minnesota Twins (Saturday, FS1, 4:05 p.m. ET) Cole Irvin takes the mound for the Oakland Athletics, who go up against the Minnesota Twins. St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres (Saturday, FS1, 8:40 p.m. ET) Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals take on Chris Paddack and the San Diego Padres. Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET) Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies take on Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Chicago Cubs at Detroit Tigers: Cubs -1.5 (+120) The Chicago Cubs have been playing hot-and-cold all season, currently riding a three-game losing streak heading into Friday’s three-game series opener against the Tigers. Before that, the Cubs ran off five straight wins, including a series sweep of the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s time the Cubs figure things out, and what better way than a matchup against the Tigers, who sit at 13-24, which is the highest loss total in MLB. Chicago will send Jake Arrieta to the mound, who is 3-3 on the season with a 4.31 ERA. On the other side, the Tigers will call on Tarik Skubal, who has struggled this season with an 0-5 mark and a 5.67 ERA. Taking the Cubs at -1.5 looks like a nice play. 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