Needless to say, the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James believes the 2020 All-Star Game had full of “competitiveness.” But it wasn't due to Kobe Bryant.

As James and a number of other All-Stars played in the first All-Star Game since Bryant's passing, the veteran was asked an interesting question: Were players more competitive to honor the Lakers legend? Did they have a discussion to be more competitive to honor No. 24?

According to LeBron, that wasn't the case. The four-time MVP argued that the 2020 All-Star Game was competitive because the players in it are normally competitive — that's why they're All-Stars.

Via Ryan Ward of Clutch Points:

“No, there was no discussion because we're all competitors. We wouldn't be All-Stars if we weren't competitors. We all compete at the highest level, try to put our respective teams in position to win every night..

So guys definitely just had that sense of pride, that sense of competitiveness throughout the season, throughout the All-Star Game, which we had tonight. But you could definitely feel his presence just from the start..”

While James dismissed the notion that the players were more competitive due to Bryant's untimely passing, he did say Bryant was on their minds throughout the game.

“From every moment from the fans chanting his name till you seen the numbers. Every time you saw Giannis' team run on the floor, you saw the 2-4. So he was definitely here.”

The 2020 All-Star game ended in favor of Team LeBron as they defeated Team Giannis, 157-155. The game featured a revamp of the format. When combined with the festivities celebrating the career of Bryant — the All-Star Game MVP award was renamed in honor of Kobe — the game had a special feel to it.

With all of that said, James isn't buying the notion that players aren't normally competitive on a nightly basis.