For LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant was an inspiration to him growing him and even shared his favorite memory of the five-time champion.

In an interview with ESPN Los Angeles, James admitted to watching and looking up at Bryant when he was in high school. During that time, James was slowly becoming a household name and was poised to make the jump from high school to the big league. As transcribed by Brendan Bowers of USA Today:

“My greatest Laker memory, probably the Western Conference Finals, Kobe got the ball up at the top. He hits Scottie Pippen with the left to right crossover and drives down the lane and threw the lob over to Shaq in the Staples Center and he dunked it right before Rasheed Wallace could touch the ball.

“In 2001, 2002, 2003, those were my high school years. Kobe Bryant was like an inspiration to me because he was a kid who went straight to the league from high school. If you look back at some of my pictures, I used to wear Kobe’s a lot. So I know the history of the Lakers.”

Hear the full interview below:

It's a great little tidbit from James who's trying to carve his own place in the Lakers' rich history. Perhaps this will end all debates on who's the better player between Bryant and James. It is true that they are competitors with the sole mission of trying to outlast one another. But it is also true that they look up and idolize one another.