Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are perhaps the two biggest superstars the NBA has seen since Michael Jordan retired. These two have come closer to the GOAT conversation than any other player during the 2000s. And since Bron came into the league in 2003 and Kobe retired in 2016, there was a 13-year period during which fans of the league got to enjoy watching them go head-to-head. Kobe was better in the earlier years, especially with scoring, but LeBron soon came into his own.
Now, the two never met in the NBA Finals, and since LeBron James spent the majority of his career in the Eastern Conference, games between the two were a rare treat. They did enjoy some excellent battles though, and a picture of the two greats going at it in 2012 has recently gone viral on Instagram.
This picture not only drew the attention of fans for the fact that this matchup in the NBA Finals would have been tantalizing but also thanks to the black Miami Heat jersey that LeBron James is wearing in this. There’s nothing about this picture that fans didn’t love, and they made that clear in the comments.
rafaelmartinez: “Those black Heat jerseys.”
seb3guerrier: “Back to Black unis were cold “
jae.nino: “Lebron headband Era.”
wolfgangeight: “The one on the right guarding won 5 NBA championships.”
ankurkool: “Kobe in 4 “
christian25.: “That would be the dream finals duel.”
empirestate_v2a: “GOATs, no arguments.”
personalizowane: “What a matchup! “
mondo: “Them brons 9s raw asf.”
guiftconceicao: “That Miami jersey is “
johnrig0239: “I remember that great game.”
The game itself ended as a win for the Miami Heat, as they were en route to the first championship of LeBron James’ career and Miami’s Big 3 era. LeBron was the difference-maker in the game, dropping 31 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Kobe Bryant had 24 points himself, but couldn’t prevent the Lakers from succumbing to a 98-87 loss. It’s hard not to be nostalgic about those great times in the NBA.
