LeBron James is preparing for his 10th NBA Finals appearance - and first in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform - following his team's elimination of the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night.
James reflected on signing with the Lakers in summer 2018, and the text he received from Kobe Bryant welcoming him to the club.
"I do remember when I decided to come here, he sent me a text right away and said, 'Welcome, brother. Welcome to the family,'" James told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes postgame on Saturday. "That was a special moment because at the time, Laker faithful wasn't (fully in on me). A lot of people were saying, 'Well, we might not want LeBron at this point in his career,' and, 'Is he right? Is he going to get us back (to the Finals)?'
"So to hear from him and get his stamp of approval, it meant a lot. I don't ever question myself, but when it's coming from Kobe, it definitely meant a lot."
After arriving in Los Angeles, James had plans to sit down and talk with Bryant. But the two weren't able to finalize a date, according to Haynes.
"We have to remember not to take life and people for granted," James said.
