Lebron Reflects on His Favorite Kobe Memories and the Impact the Mamba Has Had on His Life

James When I was ░░░░░░░░ kid when I was ░░░░░░░░ high school I was ░░░░░░░░ up through the ranks ░░░░░░░░ Kobe came into the ░░░░░░░░ It wasn t a ░░░░░░░░ of mine to come ░░░░░░░░ from high school at ░░░░░░░░ point in time to ░░░░░░░░ NBA But I was ░░░░░░░░ wow a 17 year ░░░░░░░░ or 18 year old ░░░░░░░░ being able to make ░░░░░░░░ leap that s pretty ░░░░░░░░ cool And as I ░░░░░░░░ playing more ball and ░░░░░░░░ went into high school ░░░░░░░░ things he was doing ░░░░░░░░ the floor I admired ░░░░░░░░ wanted to be a ░░░░░░░░ of I went to ░░░░░░░░ camp and he came ░░░░░░░░ talked to all of ░░░░░░░░ kids who was there ░░░░░░░░ I happened to be ░░░░░░░░ of the kids who ░░░░░░░░ there I was just ░░░░░░░░ I was just trying ░░░░░░░░ soak up everything that ░░░░░░░░ could I remember one ░░░░░░░░ that he said he ░░░░░░░░ like If you want ░░░░░░░░ try to be great ░░░░░░░░ it or if you ░░░░░░░░ to be one of ░░░░░░░░ greats you ve got ░░░░░░░░ put the work in ░░░░░░░░ s no substitution to ░░░░░░░░ I was a 15 ░░░░░░░░ old kid at that ░░░░░░░░ you can actually find ░░░░░░░░ footage of him at ░░░░░░░░ camp And in 2001 ░░░░░░░░ believe I was playing ░░░░░░░░ Jersey and the All ░░░░░░░░ game if I m ░░░░░░░░ mistaken was in Philly ░░░░░░░░ Yeah that Saturday me ░░░░░░░░ Maverick Carter drove to ░░░░░░░░ Intercontinental in downtown Philadelphia ░░░░░░░░ he gave me a ░░░░░░░░ of his shoes which ░░░░░░░░ ended up wearing that ░░░░░░░░ night It was the ░░░░░░░░ white and blue Kobes ░░░░░░░░ was a size 15 ░░░░░░░░ he was a 14 ░░░░░░░░ I wore them anyways ░░░░░░░░ sat and just talked ░░░░░░░░ him for a little ░░░░░░░░ He gave me the ░░░░░░░░ and I rocked them ░░░░░░░░ the game It was ░░░░░░░░ same night that we ░░░░░░░░ Oak Hill against Melo ░░░░░░░░ And then I saw ░░░░░░░░ he was able to ░░░░░░░░ the very next night ░░░░░░░░ MVP here in Philly ░░░░░░░░ following night As I ░░░░░░░░ drafted I still just ░░░░░░░░ him seeing what he ░░░░░░░░ able to accomplish winning ░░░░░░░░ Early in his career ░░░░░░░░ learned from the misses ░░░░░░░░ he had in the ░░░░░░░░ against Utah and he ░░░░░░░░ used that as motivation ░░░░░░░░ got better and better ░░░░░░░░ better to him winning ░░░░░░░░ championships I continued to ░░░░░░░░ him throughout my high ░░░░░░░░ rank Then as competitors ░░░░░░░░ seeing the work ethic ░░░░░░░░ work ethic that he ░░░░░░░░ into the game He ░░░░░░░░ zero flaws offensively Zero ░░░░░░░░ backed off of him ░░░░░░░░ he could shoot the ░░░░░░░░ You body him up ░░░░░░░░ little bit and he ░░░░░░░░ go around you He ░░░░░░░░ shoot the midrange he ░░░░░░░░ post he could make ░░░░░░░░ throws He had zero ░░░░░░░░ offensively That s something ░░░░░░░░ admired as well just ░░░░░░░░ at a point where ░░░░░░░░ defense will always be ░░░░░░░░ bay where they can ░░░░░░░░ guard you at all ░░░░░░░░ just felt like he ░░░░░░░░ immortal offensively because of ░░░░░░░░ skillset and his work ░░░░░░░░ We take it down ░░░░░░░░ the Olympic Games in ░░░░░░░░ when we became the ░░░░░░░░ Team and it was ░░░░░░░░ dream come true for ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ alongside of him just ░░░░░░░░ him for so many ░░░░░░░░ and seeing him from ░░░░░░░░ and then being able ░░░░░░░░ be at practices with ░░░░░░░░ and me watching and ░░░░░░░░ It s just too ░░░░░░░░ It s just too ░░░░░░░░ The story is just ░░░░░░░░ much It doesn t ░░░░░░░░ sense Just to make ░░░░░░░░ long story short now ░░░░░░░░ m here in a ░░░░░░░░ uniform in Philadelphia where ░░░░░░░░ s from where one ░░░░░░░░ the first times I ░░░░░░░░ met him he gave ░░░░░░░░ his shoes that he ░░░░░░░░ to All Star weekend ░░░░░░░░ s surreal It doesn ░░░░░░░░ make no sense But ░░░░░░░░ universe just puts things ░░░░░░░░ your life and when ░░░░░░░░ re living the right ░░░░░░░░ and you re giving ░░░░░░░░ to whatever you re ░░░░░░░░ things happen organically It ░░░░░░░░ not supposed to make ░░░░░░░░ But it just happens ░░░░░░░░ m happy just to ░░░░░░░░ in any conversation with ░░░░░░░░ Bean Bryant one of ░░░░░░░░ all time greatest basketball ░░░░░░░░ that ever played one ░░░░░░░░ the all time greatest ░░░░░░░░ The man s got ░░░░░░░░ jerseys hanging up in ░░░░░░░░ Center It s just ░░░░░░░░