For all of his 20-year NBA career, Kobe Bryant only knew LeBron James as a competitor. And while the two never faced off in the playoffs, they were always fighting with each other for the title of the best player in the league.
But when LeBron James officially became a Laker in the summer of 2019, it was Kobe Bryant who was one of the first to welcome him with open arms.
According to James, Kobe called him family once he agreed to don the Purple and Gold.
“The day I signed, Kobe said you family now. Whatever you need from me, I’m a call away.’ Kobe definitely gave me that love. He said’ we family, we all Lakers man let’s make it happen.'”
LeBron James on what @kobebryant told him after he signed w LAL:
“The day I signed, Kobe said you family now.”@SnoopDogg: “It only takes one Star to get this s*** poppin.”
Magic: “Great moment for Lakers’ franchise & I was happy for Jeanie.”#LakeShow #LakersDoc #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/NH4tIY7KrA
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) October 10, 2022
When LeBron signed, the lakers were in an especially bad position. With just a group of young and unproven players to lead their team, they were one of the worst teams in the West for years before James changed their status overnight.
As the ultimate competitor, Bryant must have seen how great of an impact James had on his team and it’s no wonder why he embraced his arrival with open arms.
Kobe Bryant And LeBron James Had Great Respect For Each Other On And Off The Court
In fact, the whole story of Kobe and LeBron’s “rivalry” may be overstated. Over the years, the two have expressed admiration and respect for each other on countless occasions and Bryant even admitted that he wished he could’ve played with Bron.
Four years ago, Kobe revealed he would have liked to play alongside LeBron James during his prime. Bryant talked about ‘Bron’s talents as a passer, which would have maximized his production. Talking on the Holding Court with Geno Auriemma podcast in 2017, Bryant had this to say:
“I think the player that would fit with me the most, I actually think would be LeBron. He’s a passer first, I’m a scorer, I’m a finisher. ‘Bron is a facilitator by nature and I’m a finisher by nature. Those two styles, I think complement each other extremely well.”
In the end, we never got to see LeBron and Kobe as teammates in an actual NBA game. Apparently, it just wasn’t in the cards.
But it’s still pretty cool that, even after their history, Bryant wasn’t jealous or threatened by LeBron’s arrival in Los Angeles. He always appreciated greatness, after all, and was always happy to see the Lakers succeed.
