5 moments from the Kobe-LeBron rivalry that never was
Thursday's clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers will mark the last meeting between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the rivalry that never came to be.
Appropriately, Bryant might sit out due to a sore shoulder.
Despite sharing nearly 13 seasons together, the two first ballot Hall-of-Famers failed to develop a true rivalry like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, nor was it a passing of the torch, like Michael Jordan did for Bryant. They merely co-existed as titans of the game.
"I wouldn't say he was a rival. ... I just felt like we were completely different generations. I just missed that thing completely," Bryant told FOX Sports.
Nevertheless, on the day where one legend says goodbye to another, here are the top five moments from the Kobe-LeBron non-rivalry.
5. MVPuppets "Three Rings"
Despite James winning two rings (and counting), the reductive argument of Bryant over James remains the same.
Count the rings: Bryant 5, James 2.
James catches flack for his 2-for-6 showing in the Finals (never mind the accomplishment of making it to the Finals six times), but it was even worse in 2009 when he had none. As seen in the popular MVPuppets commercials by Nike, championships were always the bottom line.
4. The 2007-08 MVP race
Bryant might have the upper hand in titles, but James has the edge in Most Valuable Player awards. James has four, Bryant has one. And that one lonely trophy in Bryant's shelf might actually belong to James.
James only received one first-place ballot to Bryant's 82 that season, but the comparison of their numbers paint a different picture. James didn't have the wins, but his averages were equivalent, if not better, than what Bryant put up.
| Category | LeBron James | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| PPG | 30.0 | 28.3 |
| RPG | 7.9 | 6.3 |
| APG | 7.2 | 5.4 |
| PER | 29.1 | 24.2 |
| TS% | 56.8 | 57.6 |
| Win Shares | 15.2 | 13.8 |
| Wins | 45 | 57 |
Granted, Bryant vindicated the backing of voters making it to the championship round before falling to the Boston Celtics (who also defeated James' Cavaliers in the second round) that season, but he had the far better supporting cast.
Bryant had Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom. James had a broken Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Daniel Gibson, and Devin Brown. It wasn't exactly a fair fight.
3. All-Star battles
It seemed like the only time Bryant and James got down to battle one another was at the nine All-Star games they shared.
There was the time Bryant stifled James down the stretch of the 2013 All-Star festivities in New Orleans. Two key blocks by Bryant on James preserved the win for the West.
James got him back at their next meeting in Toronto.
Bryant had the highest output between the two when he put up 37 points in 2011.
Not to be outdone, James put up the second triple-double in All-Star Game history with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists that same year.
In all, Bryant was named All-Star Game MVP three times to James' four in the nine times they played each other. How's that for dominance?
2. The Redeem Team
James and Bryant formed the foundation for the "Redeem Team" that reclaimed the throne after a disastrous showing in 2004. With those two at the helm, Team USA reclaimed the gold in 2008 and 2012.
In both Beijing and London, James was the leading scorer for the Americans. But when it came to who was the bigger star, it wasn't even close. Bryant was a rockstar, one of the most visible faces at the Olympic Games - especially in 2012.
And naturally, when it came down to crunch time, it was Bryant who rescued Team USA from the jaws of defeat in the gold medal game in 2008.
1. Finals showdown goes up in smoke
After dancing around each other for half a decade, it was fated that the two would meet in the 2009 NBA Finals.
All the signs pointed to a long-awaited showdown. Commercials teased it endlessly. James' Cavaliers were the best team in the East with 66 wins, Bryant's Lakers topped the West with 65. James won the first of four MVPs, taking the mantle from Bryant, who finished second in voting.
Bryant's Lakers were standing at the finish line, but James and the Cavaliers were nowhere to be found after getting trounced by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Bryant would easily dispatch the Magic for his fourth title in a somewhat uneventful Finals matchup.
"I know the world wanted to see it," James said of missing the Finals that year. "I wanted it, we wanted it. He held up his end and I didn't hold up my end, and I hate that. I hate that that didn't happen."