With tears streaming down his face, Michael Jordan stood before an arena full of mourners Monday to reveal to the world that he and Kobe Bryant were “very close friends.”

Public speaking engagements are rare for Jordan, but the Basketball Hall of Famer and owner of the Charlotte Hornets joined a star-studded lineup of eulogists at Monday’s memorial, speaking for 10 minutes about Bryant and sharing more about the bond they built than he had ever disclosed.

“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died,” Jordan said.

Bryant arrived in the N.B.A. as a 17-year-old in 1996, openly determined to try to outdo Jordan’s achievements with the Chicago Bulls. At 41, Bryant was killed in a Jan. 26 helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna and seven others aboard.