Peyton Manning Remembers Kobe Bryant As 'True Champion' Of Sports

(CBS4) - Former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant at the NFL Honor Award Show on Saturday night. Manning says Bryant would try to learn as much as he could about football, often asking Manning for his input.

"He talked to a lot of teams and players over the years at every level of sports - from youth teams, like his daughter's, Gigi's, to the pros. Kobe understood the importance of cultivating the future of sports, and more than that, sharing the valuable lessons sports teaches about life," Manning said. "Like a true champion, he never stopped learning."

Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles.

Manning will headline the 2021 class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Bryant will be honored posthumously as a 2020 inductee into the NBA Hall of Fame.