While Kobe Bryant certainly had some all-star caliber teammates during his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, most notably Shaquille O'Neal, there's one player he would've liked to team up with, but sadly never got the chance to. That man is LeBron James.
On a recent episode of the Holding Court with Geno Auriemma podcast, Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation spoke about that sentiment, which Bryant communicated to him. "I think the player that would fit with me the most, I actually think would be LeBron," he told UConn's famed women's basketball coach. "He's a passer first, I'm a scorer, I'm a finisher. 'Bron is a facilitator by nature and I'm a finisher by nature. Those two styles, I think complement each other extremely well."
It's a somewhat surprising revelation, especially considering how much he idolized Michael Jordan growing up. Coming of age in Italy, where Bryant's father played professional ball, Kobe modeled much of his game after the Bulls superstar, perfecting a scoring touch that, over the years, would have some putting him above MJ in terms of ability to finish off games in the clutch. While your mileage may vary with that specific line of thinking, there's little doubt that LeBron and Kobe would've formed a duo with almost boundless championship aspirations.
What's your take? How many NBA titles would LeBron and Kobe have won together? Or would they have been at each other's throats to be the one to take charge of the team? Make sure your voice is heard in the comments.