Plenty of NBA fans will miss Kobe Bryant when he hangs up his kicks for good after this season.
And LeBron James is among them.
Ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Wednesday night tilt with the Los Angeles Lakers, James described his respect for the Black Mamba and admitted that seeing him go at the end of the year won’t be easy. Per ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin:
James admitted Monday that seeing Bryant play out his final season has touched him.
“Anytime I even watch his games, even when I’m not playing him, it’s always, like, very emotional just knowing it’s his last hurrah,” James said after the Cavs’ 120-100 win over the Sacramento Kings. “And he’s done so much, not only for the Lakers organization, but for me as a kid growing up watching Kobe and things of that nature and also competing against him.
“So it’s going to be really cool to see him on Wednesday for sure, and hopefully — I know our fans — they’re going to give him a great reception, well-deserved.”
On the court, Kobe was the Michael Jordan of LeBron’s generation. It wasn’t just that he mimicked MJ’s moves; it’s that he was overwhelmingly competitive, often to a fault, displaying an insane sense of self that turned his play style and name into a brand, and then made that brand ubiquitous, endearing, if forcing, itself onto impressionable basketball minds.
Someone will be saying the same of LeBron one day, when he’s ready to walk away. He’s already at that age where incoming players see the significance in No. 23 because he’s worn it, not because it was Jordan’s jersey. That’s the NBA cycle: If all goes according to plan, one generational superstar is replaced by another.
LeBron has long since taken the post-Jordan torch from Kobe, and as he bids farewell to one of his basketball idols, he himself is preparing to pass it off to someone else, whether it be Stephen Curry or Anthony Davis or someone else.
