LeBron James just made NBA history once again, sharing yet another milestone alongside Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant.
During the Lakers' contest against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, a 106-96 LA win, LeBron James tied Kobe Bryant on the all-time games played list. Both players have now played exactly 1,346 games, with Kobe Bryant playing every single one of those in a purple and gold uniform.
Tonight @KingJames has tied Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant for 14th-most games played in NBA history đź’śđź’› pic.twitter.com/XDHsWDFNJn
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 26, 2022
LeBron James did edge out Kobe to get there, doing so in just 19 seasons compared to the Mamba's 20.
The January 25 date of the milestone is significant because it's the same day, two years ago, when LeBron James passed the Lakers icon on the all-time scoring list. It's also the day before he tragically passed away.
2 YEARS AGO TODAY
After passing Kobe on the all-time scoring list, LeBron shared some early Kobe stories including the time Kobe gave him a pair of his shoes & Bron wore them in a game even though they were too small.Kobe passed away the following day pic.twitter.com/dr0nNJUcKN
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 25, 2022
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were never true rivals nor were they complete generations apart. They represented an amazing overlap between two of the greatest careers in NBA history, one linked together by touch points such as these on the eve of Kobe's death.
Joining the Lakers and winning a championship for the franchise is clearly LeBron James' biggest homage to Kobe Bryant. But their legacies remain loosely intertwined by smaller wrinkles that remind us that one came before the other.
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