Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James changed his Instagram profile picture in honor of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant.

The picture was taken in one of Bryant's title wins which show, in just one photo, his devotion to the game and his family.

In a heartfelt message, James revealed that he actually had a conversation with Bryant just hours before the crash. The night prior, James passed Bryant for the third spot in the all-time scoring list.

I promise you Iā€™ll continue your legacy man! You mean so much to us all here especiallyĀ #LakerNationšŸ’œšŸ’› and itā€™s my responsibility to put this shit on my back and keep it going!! Please give me the strength from the heavens above and watch over me! I got US here! LeBron wrote on Instagram.

Bryant gave James a shoutout on his Twitter and Instagram accounts on Saturday, on what would be his final posts. Reports also reveal that the two shared a conversation late Saturday night, with several Lakers players listening in on the call.

Right after surpassing Bryant in the all-time scoring list, the Lakers star detailed his deep admiration for Bryant. As a young gun coming out of high school, Bryant served as his role model who told him that it is possible for a young stud to make it big against grown men.

And when he stepped into the league, JamesĀ formed a deep relationship with Bryant as a competitor and friend. It started out in 2008 when the two were part of the Team USA Redeem Team.

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It went on from there. The two polarizing figures became the face of the NBA for a number of years. James ā€” arguably the most hyped player in recent memory ā€” was inching closer to his first title. Bryant, meanwhile, was hellbent on adding on to his legacy.

Dreams of a Kobe-LeBron NBA Finals match up were everywhere. Sadly, it didn't come into fruition.

Nevertheless, the memory that Kobe Bryant left on LeBron James will spring eternal.