August 23rd is Kobe Bryant's birthday, and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James made sure to remember the Purple and Gold legend along with the rest of the NBA.

On his Instagram Stories, LeBron posted a couple of Kobe's photos to honor the Lakers and basketball icon in what would have been his 43rd birthday. He also didn't need to caption it to send the message he wants to say.

LeBron James will always have the deepest admiration and appreciation for Kobe Bryant, especially since he is one of his role models growing up. While they were never able to become teammates in the NBA, they had their fair share of epic battles which only strengthened their respect for one another.

James also considered Kobe his brother and someone who had inspired him to win and do great throughout his career.

It's not only LeBron who remembered the birthday of the Lakers great and honored him on the special day, though, as other current and former NBA players also took to Twitter to pay tribute to Kobe. In fact, Carmelo Anthony also paid tribute to Bryant earlier by posting a photo of him hugging the Black Mamba during his early days with the Denver Nuggets.

https://twitter.com/JordanClarksons/status/1429869288354025473

Pau Gasol also became a bit emotional celebrating his former Lakers teammate's birthday, highlighting how much he misses his good friend.

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Here are some other birthday messages for Mamba from other NBA players:

Kobe Bryant passed away in January 2020 in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. This is only his second birthday since his untimely passing, and his peers in the NBA continues to make sure his legacy lives on and his greatness be remembered.

Happy birthday, Bean!