LeBron James and Kobe Bryant careers will forever be intertwined.
What's the connection between my opening statement and the title? Let me break it down.
Kobe entered the NBA through Lower Merion High. James via Saint Vincent-Saint Mary HS. Both were highschoolers when they entered the league. Both disrespected someone older than them during a game: Once Karl Malone, recalling an incident with Kobe Bryant, was quoted after trying to set a pick for him. "The guy told me he's got it," the then 34-year-old Malone said. "Like I told Coach Karl, when younger guys tell me to get out of the way, that's a game I don't need to be in. I was ticked." James not to be outdone did it in front of the cameras when he said to his mom: "sit your (butt) down!" on mother's day.
Both wanted the spotlight from each other. It was June 2003, Draft night, James was ready for the biggest day of his life. He was about to be made the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers on national television. But James' handshake with David Stern was upstaged that day by breaking news during the broadcast that Bryant planned to opt out of his contract wit ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Adrian Barcia
LeBron James: The Matter of Animosity
December 26th, 2010 by Adrian Barcia Leave a reply »
Advertisement