INDEPENDENCE: Tyronn Lue was a second-year guard with the Los Angeles Lakers when he made a life-threatening decision: He blocked Kobe Bryant’s shot one day in practice.
The Lakers’ reserve unit was scrimmaging the starters when Bryant drove baseline for the game-winning basket. Lue moved over from the elbow and blocked Bryant against the backboard despite giving up at least six inches in the clash. The reserves won on the next possession when Devean George made a layup and Brian Shaw started taunting Bryant over Lue’s block.
“Kobe wanted to fight me at first,” Lue recalled. “Second, he wanted to play one-on-one after practice. … He was so mad. After that, every day we stepped onto the court, he just went after me every single day.”
Bryant will make his final appearance in Cleveland on Wednesday when the Cavs conclude the first half of the season by hosting the Los Angeles Lakers. Everyone has a Kobe story these days, including Lue, who has thousands from the three years they shared with the Lakers.
Lue has the unique perspective of having played with a young Kobe, an old Michael Jordan and now he’s coaching LeBron James. Lue believes Bryant and Jordan were identical in their approach and their competitive nature even at practice.
“LeBron’s the same way, it’s just they’re more vocal about it,” Lue said. “They’re more demonstrative about it. They’ll get on guys. They’ll cuss guys out. They’ll even fight guys if they have to, so that’s just the difference, but they still all have the same will to win and be able to take control of a game like that.”
The relationship between James and Bryant has evolved over the years. When Bryant’s Lakers stopped in Cleveland during James’ rookie season, Bryant was peppered with questions about the rising superstar and offered little in the way of praise or advice.
By the time the two legends met last season at Staples Center, it was 48 minutes of love. The two laughed and joked throughout the game, a stark difference from how the elder Bryant treated James earlier in his career.
James didn’t want to talk about that evolution, instead telling reporters to go ask Bryant about it Wednesday when the Lakers arrive. But Lue said that mindset in the early years of James’ career went back to Bryant’s competitive spirit.
“Kobe, knowing LeBron’s coming in to try to take his spot, he’s not going to open up to him and give him any leeway or give him any reason to try to come in and take his spot,” Lue said. “I’m glad they have a great relationships because, as far as I’ve been in the league, those two guys have carried the league for a long time.”
Bryant’s history with the Cavs has ultimately been limited to a couple marquee Christmas Day games. Either James or Bryant has appeared in each of the past nine NBA Finals, yet somehow they never met in one. James blamed himself for that because the Cavs lost to the Orlando Magic in the conference finals in 2009 when the Lakers were waiting in the Finals.
Now there are just two meetings left between them. James and Bryant will meet for the final time next month at Staples Center. Until then, James conceded he gets emotional whenever he watches the Lakers play this season.
“It’s always very emotional just knowing it’s his last hurrah,” James said. “And he’s done so much not only for the Lakers organization but for me as a kid growing up watching Kobe and also competing against him. It’s going to be really cool to see him on Wednesday for sure and hopefully, I know our fans, they’re going to give him a great reception — well deserved.”
Love passed over
Kevin Love was snubbed — again. Love was again passed over when the league appointed Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol as the injury replacement for guard Jimmy Butler on the East All-Star team.
Gasol’s numbers across the board are superior: He is averaging 17 points, 10.9 rebounds and is shooting 48 percent. Love, by comparison, is averaging 15.8 points and 10.4 rebounds. He is shooting a career-low 42 percent.
But Love plays on the best team in the East, while the Bulls have slid to seventh. Gasol, however, gives the Bulls at least one representative after losing Butler to the knee injury.
Love’s absence means James remains the Cavs’ lone All-Star representative for Sunday’s game at Toronto.
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.