LeBron James thinking of Kobe Bryant every time he pulls on the Los Angeles Lakers’ purple and gold
- ‘You think about his legacy, you think about him and what he meant to this franchise for 20-plus years,’ James says
- Lakers reach first NBA Finals since Bryant guided them to victory over Boston Celtics in 2010, rematch still on the cards
LeBron James paid tribute to Kobe Bryant after taking the Los Angeles Lakers to their first NBA Finals since Bryant last led them there in 2010.
Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January, was the NBA Finals MVP that year as the Lakers won their 16th and last NBA championship.
“Every time you put on purple and gold you think about his legacy, you think about him and what he meant to this franchise for 20-plus years”, James said after beating the Denver Nuggets to secure a place in the finals against either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat. The Lakers beat the Celtics in 2010.
“What he stood for both on the floor and off the floor, what he demanded out of his teammates, what he demanded out of himself. You know we have some similarities in that sense,” James said of his former Lakers and Team USA teammate.
“Our games are different. As far as our mindset and our drive to want to be the best and our drive to not lose, sometimes you’re going to lose games, but just that drive to always want to be victorious it stops you from sleeping.”
James, who scored 38 points and bagged a triple-double in the series clinching victory to head to his own 10th appearance in the finals, drew comparisons to Bryant for his own comments in the aftermath of the win.
“One step closer to the goal,” James said after coming off court. “Job not done.”
This drew comparisons from social media users to Bryant’s own “Mamba mentality”, as fans refer to it. Many shared a clip of Bryant in a press conference during the 2009 NBA Finals.
Bryant was asked why he was not smiling after winning game two to go 2-0 in the series. “What’s there to be happy about?” Bryant responded. “The job’s not finished. Is the job finished? I don’t think so.”
Lakers star Dwight Howard channelled that when asked about the team’s mentality going into game five against the Nuggets.
“Simple,” Howard said when asked on Friday. “The job is not finished.”
They finished the Nuggets off on Saturday but the Lakers will not be done until they win a championship for Bryant.
