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LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are two of the greatest to ever grace the hardwood. LeBron and Kobe forged an even greater bond off the court during their Team USA stints. They pushed each other to be the best versions of themselves every time they competed.
James reminiscied about his early Laker days by recently putting up an Instagram story with him playing for the Lakers with Kobe sitting court-side.
Kobe Bryant had a highly successful 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five championships and established himself as the greatest player ever to don purple and gold. LeBron came into L.A. with unfair expectations of matching up to Bryant's high standards. He was initially alienated by Laker Nation due to those comparisons.
His first year was difficult and he missed the playoffs for the third time in his career. 2019 was a massive year for the Lakers as they traded for superstar forward Anthony Davis and are now one of the favorites to win the title. The season was marred by a pandemic and later L.A. suffered one of its greatest losses with the tragic demise of Kobe in a helicopter crash.
An emotional LeBron James and the Lakers franchise, reeling from one of their biggest blows, somehow managed to keep it together. They battled hard to win the 2019-20 NBA championship. This might go down in history as LeBron James' biggest achievement.
James recently posted a picture on Instagram which featured a happy Kobe Bryant court-side watching LeBron and Anthony Davis.
Kobe Bryant has played a huge role in the lives of most NBA players and LeBron James is no different. LeBron and Kobe's bond was so great that James got a tattoo of the Mamba symbol and Bryant's numbers as a tribute to the legend.
Can LeBron James win a championship with the Lakers this season and equal Kobe Bryant for titles won?
The Los Angeles Lakers have had a disastrous start to the 2021/22 season, losing half of the 16 games that they have played this season. There has been a significant drop in the Lakers' defensive efficiency and that has been a key reason for the slump in form.
Having said that, the Lakers have missed multiple key players, including LeBron James, Trevor Ariza, Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn due to injury. With most of the aforementioned players set to return in the coming weeks, it won't be too long before we see a full strength Lakers squad.
LeBron James is arguably the smartest player to ever play the game and he will eventually figure things out and get his side going. However, the Lakers will have to step up their intensity on both ends if they are to have a chance of beating the likes of the Golden State Warriors. But if history has taught us one thing, that is to never count King James out.
