“LeBron James has the most ridiculous one-leg takeoff I’ve ever seen”: When Kobe Bryant and ‘The King’ chopped it up over their signature moves

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James took to ESPN back in 2009 to compliment and break down each other’s game and signature moves. 

Kobe Bryant had been in the NBA for 7 years before LeBron James decided to skip college and jump straight into the NBA. In those 7 years, Bryant had gone 3-3 in the NBA Finals while on the Los Angeles Lakers and alongside 3x Finals MVP, Shaquille O’Neal. The end of the 2004 season saw James win ROTY and Kobe and Shaq play their last game together. 

Despite there being a significant difference between the two in terms of age and experience, Kobe Bryant always showed love and respect to LeBron James. Their relationship with one another is the perfect indication that age doesn’t matter when someone’s game just as good as yours.

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The two would never get to play against one another in the NBA Finals, a match-up that NBA fans were salivating over for years. The closest they got was the 2009 season when the Orlando Magic advanced to the Finals by beating James and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James break each other’s signature moves down. 

In a lighthearted sit-down interview with ESPN back in 2009, both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James gushed over each other’s signature moves and stellar play. 

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“We both have the same passion. We just show it in different ways. He takes off like he’s jumping off a trampoline off of one leg. Man, it’s the most ridiculous one-leg takeoff I’ve seen. It’s crazy,” said Kobe about James and his athleticism. 

“His mid-range jumper is by far one of the best that we have, if not the best, that we have in our league. Two dribble, pump-fake, reverse spin, shot. Yea I watch you. Yea I study it,” said LeBron James on Bryant’s iconic mid-range mastery. 

The two shared quite the friendship with one another, with Kobe Bryant even showing up to the game that James passed him for 3rd all-time in the regular season scoring list. Coincidentally, LeBron passed Karl Malone for 2nd all-time today in a loss to the Washington Wizards.