INDEPENDENCE: LeBron James blamed himself Tuesday for never meeting Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals. The two superstars have combined to play for a championship each of the past nine years, but never faced each other. It will end as one of James’ few disappointments in his career.
“I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain,” James said of the 2009 Finals. “I know the world wanted to see it. I wanted it, he wanted it. He held up his end, I didn’t hold up my end and I hate that. I hate that it didn’t happen.”
And now it never will. Bryant announced his retirement this week while the Los Angeles Lakers are struggling through another miserable season. James took a day to collect his thoughts before delivering a powerful 15-minute tribute to Bryant on Tuesday, the future hall of famer whose posters hung on James’ wall as a kid.
“I mean, in high school I wore a nappy afro because of Kobe Bryant. Because he wore it,” James said. “I wanted to be just like him.”
James first met Bryant when he was 15 years old and attending an ABCD camp. Bryant later gave him a pair of his Nikes to wear against Oak Hill Academy and Carmelo Anthony.
“Just being a competitor, he took me to that next level, and understanding how important competition is and just have a willingness to never die,” James said. “You may lose a game, but you’re always going to win every battle or win the war. You get that all from Kobe, just competing against him every year.”
While James has always admired Bryant, it hasn’t always been reciprocal. Bryant seemed cool toward James earlier in his career, but the admiration has grown in later years. The two spent last season laughing and joking throughout their January game in Los Angeles. James believes their time together with Team USA deepened those bonds, when Bryant learned about James’ work ethic in ’08 and again in ’12.
Some of James’ favorite Olympic memories included watching Bryant’s key four-point play to beat Spain in the gold medal game in ’08. Prior to that, Bryant earned a flagrant for barreling through Pau Gasol on a screen in a preliminary game in ’08 when the two were Lakers teammates.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, this guy is on another level. …This guy’s all about winning and whoever he’s playing for or who he’s playing with at that point in time’ ” James recalled. “I loved it. … He really forgot Pau was his teammate. Like he really forgot that he was about to see him in three weeks in L.A. I swear. It was crazy.”
James was saddened to hear this is it for Bryant. He has spent time in the locker room after Cavs games this season watching the Lakers and rooting for Bryant. He looked at the schedule Monday night to see when the Cavs and Lakers will meet this season: Feb. 10 in Cleveland and March 10 in Los Angeles in what will be the final game between two legends who never met when it really mattered.
“I think it’ll be very emotional and very fun. Obviously I want to win and he wants to win, too. But some things about that will be much bigger than a win or a loss,” James said. “I don’t know. It won’t really make sense next year when you see the Lakers and you don’t see Kobe in a uniform. … It’s going to be pretty weird.”
Blatt honored
Cavs coach David Blatt was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October/November. The Cavs have the best record in the East despite fighting injuries through the first month of the season. It’s his second time winning the award after he also received it last March.
“It says that I owe a lot of credit to my staff and the great players I coach, but the award itself doesn’t have a great deal of significance beyond that for me,” he said. “I work with some of the best players in the NBA. That’s my takeaway from that.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.