LeBron James has reflected on the time since the death of Kobe Bryant a year ago, saying: “There’s a lot of things that die in this world, but legends never die.”
Many Lakers players, Bryant’s family, and close friends are still in mourning following the helicopter crash that killed 41-year-old Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others, on January 26, 2020.
There will be no Black Mamba uniforms worn on Monday in Cleveland and no formal tribute, with players – including James – still in the process of healing following the shock of his friend’s death.
“Man, there’s a saying that says time heals all. As devastating and as tragic as it was and still is to all of us involved with it… it takes time. Everyone has their own grieving process,” said James at Chicago’s United Center, where Bryant’s idol, Michael Jordan, used to play.
“Everyone understands. Everyone individually is different and everyone is going to grieve differently and how long it takes them to come to grips with it, that’s up to them and that individual.
“You know, all you can do as a friend or a loved one or anyone in our brotherhood and our family that we have here with the organisation, is to put an arm around someone when they need it.”
The team still continue to pay homage to Bryant in subtle ways, with James saying: “We got a lot of guys that wear shoes [bearing tributes] still to this day.
“I’m able to wear the ‘two-four’ on my finger every night. And then when we play at Staples Center, you see that two-four in the rafters and be able to just live his legacy. So there’s a lot of things that die in this world, but legends never die. And he’s exactly that. So it’s all about representing that.”
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When comparing Bryant’s game to the legendary Michael Jordan, James felt the No 24, who spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, had some of Jordan’s DNA in his game.
“I only looked at Kobe for him. You’ve seen a lot of the similarities between him and Mike, but I appreciate Kobe’s game for Kobe’s game – the way he played the game, the finesse that he played with, the ball-handling capabilities, and shooting. Everything that he possessed on the floor,” added James.
“I respect him for who he was as a player and what he was able to bring on the floor, and the fact that he was able to take some things from MJ and look at some of MJ’s DNA and actually be able to do it.
“A lot of people try to do that. A lot of people wish they can take things from some of the greats and implement it to their game and then become successful. They just can’t have the ability to do it or they don’t have the drive to do it. They don’t have the mindset to do it. But he actually did it and did it at a high level for a long, long, long time. And you can respect that.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also paid tribute to Bryant on Sunday night after leading his side to their second straight Super Bowl.
“Kobe has one of the best mentalities all the time as far as a competitor going out there and winning championships, not just winning games,” said the 25-year-old, who led the Chiefs to victory over the Buffalo Bills to set up a showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I take a lot from that, going out there every single day and not being satisfied with where you’re at. And like I said, the job’s not finished. When we went into the season, we weren’t talking about going to the Super Bowl. We were talking about winning again and we’re trying to run it back and we mean that. And I’m excited for the opportunity to go out there and play a great football team and try to do that.”
