One day after the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated Kobe Bryant‘s legacy by unveiling his statue set to be installed outside the team’s home arena, LeBron James took to Instagram to remember the icon by sharing an old clip of one of his earliest meetings with him. In 2001, a 16-year-old James attended the ABCD Camp, an annual youth basketball camp founded by former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro in 1984. Bryant attended the camp as a player in 1995 and won the MVP award. He revisited it in 2001 as a two-time NBA champion to share his knowledge with the young prospects.
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In the video, a young James says,
“I don’t wanna be like Kobe Bryant. I just wanna accomplish the things he accomplished. Like winning championships, you know. All-Star. Just doing those things.”
Bryant is also seen talking to the kids at the camp. He starts by giving them a motivational speech before warning them,
“Just do your thing and go for what you know, man. Go for your dreams. Maybe I’ll see you in the league one of these days. Maybe I’ll be one of those young cats thinking that you can take our championship away and it’s not happening.”
James shared the video on his Instagram stories with the caption, “Didn’t say a word, I just sat there and soaked in every word.” He would go on to achieve everything Bryant did and also earn the Lakers icon’s respect.
Kobe and LeBron were fierce competitors on the court, but off it, they built a strong rapport after spending time together on the 2008 U.S. Men’s Basketball Team, dubbed ‘The Redeem Team.’ The camaraderie between the duo grew after they spent together trying to lead their nation to a gold medal win. James even sang Happy Birthday to Bryant.
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James Came Close After Bron’s Move To Lakers
Their bond got stronger after James joined the Lakers in 2018. Bryant welcomed the four-time MVP with open arms, telling him, “You family now.” When James passed Bryant on the NBA’s all-time points scorer’s list, the Hall of Famer congratulated him on X, formerly called Twitter, writing,
“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother #33644.”
Tragically, it would be the last thing he posted on social media before passing away the following day in a helicopter crash. James shared a heartfelt carousel of images with Bryant and wrote,
“It’s my responsibility to put this s**t on my back and keep it going!”
James even got a tattoo on his left quad dedicated to Bryant. The four-time MVP always refers to the late icon as a brother, a testament to the strong bond and friendship they formed over the years.
