The death of Kobe Bryant shook many in the NBA community. For a man who seemed so invincible, to suddenly not have him around anymore was a tragic feeling for countless fans around the world — including LeBron James.
While we always knew the two had mutual respect for each other, they may have been a lot closer than we thought. According to what Metta World Peace said in an interview on Heavy, Kobe was one of Bron’s favorite players and his death hit him hard.
Metta World Peace on the game before Kobe passed and LeBron passing him that night:
“I pay attention to the Lakers and what goes on, but I wasn’t watching that game. I just felt bad for LeBron. Like, goddamn. LeBron does everything in his power to include basketball players. He does everything in his power to make people feel wanted and loved. You see him do it all the time. You know – and he’s a tough player. He’s tough minded no matter what people say, he’s tough. And you know, I also feel like he’s a guy with compassion. You gotta feel bad for him that shit happened; you know, one of his favorite players passed away when he broke his record? …. I would’ve been devastated.”
“Kobe Bryant died day after LeBron James broke his scoring record Metta World Peace feels for James: “You gotta feel bad for him that shit happened. – https://t.co/ihJ4pmGH0k
One of his favorite players passed away when he broke his record? I would’ve been devastated.” pic.twitter.com/qLJIL7w3fp
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) June 17, 2020
It’s pretty unfortunate the way things went down. Nobody was expecting the helicopter crash.
The day the news broke, LeBron was seen crying coming out of the runway and did several things to honor Bryant following his death. It may not seem like the two had much in common but they each had their own run of the league for a time and when it comes to MJ comparisons, their names are usually the first to surface.
Indeed, their legacies collide and Bron was lucky enough to be next in line.
