Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant knew just how much it meant to him to pass Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list. So with LeBron James just 81 points shy of passing the “Black Mamba,” Kobe said he plans on calling “The King” to recognize the achievement (via Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times):
“I’ll for sure call him and tell him congratulations,” Bryant said. “I’m so happy for ‘Bron, all he’s accomplished and continues to accomplish, he’s been great.”
Kobe and LeBron were the standard-bearers of the NBA in the early part of the 2010s (remember those Nike puppet commercials), and they have a strong friendship to this day.
Back in 2016–during Bryant's farewell tour–James told Dave McMenamin of ESPN he had the utmost respect for Kobe and what he did for basketball in his career:
“Anytime I even watch his games, even when I'm not playing him, it's always, like, very emotional just knowing it's his last hurrah,” James said after the Cavs' 120-100 win over the Sacramento Kings. “And he's done so much, not only for the Lakers organization, but for me as a kid growing up watching Kobe and things of that nature and also competing against him.
LeBron is trying to cement his own legacy with the Lakers.
The Purple and Gold currently own the best record in the Western Conference (34-8), and James leads the NBA in assists while also scoring over 25 points per game.
But even as he inches closer to Kobe on the scoring list, the only thing in LeBron's sights is what is at the end of the tunnel: the opportunity to win his fourth championship.
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