LeBron James has faced off against some legendary opponents over the years, ranging from Tim Duncan and Paul Pierce to Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic. Surprisingly, however, LeBron’s showdowns against Kobe Bryant were few and far between, partly because of where they played throughout their careers. Recently, LeBron James looked back on his first-ever meeting with the Mamba and reflected on how it changed his young career at the time.
“Wow Wow wow!! Super throwback!! Young King and the Mamba,” wrote James. “The help of the floor let me know I belonged and was chosen even at 19 in the league.”
The clip goes back to January 2004, during LeBron’s rookie season. The matchup was insanely hyped up at the time, but it ended up being a borderline disappointment. Despite the Lakers win, Kobe Bryant scored just 10 points in the contest on 37% shooting. LeBron James finished with 16 points after going 6-20 from the field. Even so, LeBron proved himself as a star that day by refusing to back down against the Kobe and Lakers, who were not too far removed from their dynasty days with Shaquille O’Neal.
LeBron James Was Rookie Of The Year
LeBron’s rookie campaign is arguably the most overlooked of his entire career. He was still a teenager during his first NBA game and was fresh out of High School when he was drafted first overall by the Cavaliers in 2003. It took some time for the Cavs to realize what they had in James, but he’d go on to average 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game in 39.5 minutes of play that season.
By the end of the campaign, the Rookie of the Year race was a lock between James and his fellow swingman Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 21.0 points per game for the Nuggets. James would end up securing ROTY honors in 2004 and while that game against Kobe was not his finest performance, it was one of the many signs that LeBron was a cut above the average young star.
LeBron Vs. Kobe
While LeBron and Kobe were always in the conversation as the best players of All-Time, they never really got a chance to battle on the biggest stage. The closest we ever got to seeing them face off was the 2009 Finals, but the Cavs ruined the opportunity when they failed to beat the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. For the regular season, LeBron James dominates the matchup. He’s 16-6 in games against Bryant and has the edge in almost every statistical category.
Regarding their place on the All-Time list, most fans and experts can agree that LeBron ranks above Kobe at this point. After 20+ years of excellence in the league, LeBron has constructed a resume unlike any other and his career has set a new standard for longevity. As a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and 19x All-Star, LeBron is building to his GOAT case with each passing game. Still, regardless of the rankings, it’s nice to see LeBron paying homage to an NBA legend, and paying respect to the memory of his former friend. So much has changed since that moment but the fact that LeBron is still doing the same thing all these years later speaks volumes about his unprecedented run.
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