The Los Angeles Lakers have secured the Western Conference Finals and will soon battle against the Miami Heat for the NBA championship. The celebratory times have caused LeBron James to reflect on his friendship with late basketball icon Kobe Bryant who tragically died in a helicopter crash back in January. The news of Kobe's death sent shockwaves throughout the globe, but those closest to him in the basketball world are still grieving his loss. LeBron recently shared a regret that plagues him about missing out on a final meeting with his friend.
When it was shared back in 2018 that LeBron James was heading to the Lakers, Kobe wanted to get together with him to give James insight on the franchise, the city, and the ins and outs of the team. The two mega-sports stars had chaotic schedules that kept them both on the go so they kept rescheduling, and it's something that LeBron still thinks about.
“Of course, you think there’s going to be time for us to get together and I understand that there are regrets in life, but I definitely wish I had that moment with him,” James told Yahoo Sports. “I do remember when I decided to come here, he sent me a text right away and said, ‘Welcome, brother. Welcome to the family.’ That was a special moment because at the time, Laker faithful wasn’t [fully in on me]. A lot of people were saying, ‘Well, we might not want LeBron at this point in his career,’ and, ‘Is he right? Is he going to get us back [to the Finals]?’ So to hear from him and get his stamp of approval, it meant a lot. I don’t ever question myself, but when it’s coming from Kobe, it definitely meant a lot.”
“We have to remember not to take life and people for granted," James added.
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