Vanessa Bryant spoke at Kobe Bryant's memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday.
Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash last month.
"I was his first girlfriend, his first love, his wife, his best friend, his confidant and his protector," Vanessa Bryant said. "He was the most amazing husband. Kobe loved me more than I could ever express or put into words. He was the early bird and I was the night owl. He was fire and I was ice—and vice versa at times. We balanced each other out.